Work to recreate historic town Square to get underway

Work to recreate the Georgian-era appearance of North Shields’ historic Northumberland Square is due to begin later this month (September).

The project, which is part of North Tyneside Council’s Ambition for North Shields and the Fish Quay Masterplan, will see the redevelopment of the historic Square, sympathetic to its heritage and roots.

Supported and co-funded by Historic England, the work will take the Square back to its original layout (as shown by the plan in the image above, from 1826) of footpaths and a perimeter of trees.

Traditional sandstone paving and cobbled-style paths will be installed along with new contemporary lighting and up-lighting throughout the Square.

The scheme will be the first step towards creating a new Cultural Quarter for North Shields, incorporating the Square and the top end of Howard Street (north of the Saville Street junction to the Square), offering a new, pedestrian and cyclist-friendly environment and cultural scene.

The new-look Square will create a welcoming open space to enjoy and use for leisure activities and events, adding to the appeal of the town centre and complementing the other North Shields regeneration projects.

It comes as the new development of high-quality family housing in the town centre moves a step closer with the former Unicorn House site having now been cleared.

Cllr Carl Johnson, Deputy Mayor of North Tyneside and cabinet member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “These are exciting times for the regeneration of North Shields, with work on the ground really starting to gather pace.

“The reshaping of Northumberland Square, which will hark back to its origins in the late 18th and early 19th Century, will complement the various other projects taking place, such as the redevelopment of the Unicorn House site and recent completion of high-quality new homes in the Square.

“The work to the Square will create a welcoming modern feel and tranquil, pleasant and more flexible space in this historic part of the town for events, such as the popular Victorian Christmas Market, and leisure activities that everyone can enjoy.”

Work is due to get underway in the Square from w/c 27 September and will include removing lighting columns and reducing the number of trees in the Square, in line with the Masterplan proposals outlined during the public consultation, in order to recreate the original design.

A total of 24 trees are to be removed, including one diseased original. The decision to remove the trees has been taken in line with good arboricultural management.

Opening up the space will allow for an increase in biodiversity throughout the Square with a diverse range of nearly 5,000 new plants and shrubs to be planted, including a native beech hedgerow around all sides, which will diversify habitats and enhance ecology.

New, high-quality trees will be planted to create a tree-lined boulevard along Howard Street and elsewhere as part of the regeneration works, resulting in an overall increase in the total number of trees in the town in addition to the ongoing programme of tree planting across the borough.

The park area of Northumberland Square will be closed until October when it is due to be reopened until after Christmas to allow for events, including the Victorian Christmas Market, to take place.

The first phase of the redevelopment of the Square is expected to be complete by summer 2022.

Funding for the redevelopment has come from Historic England and The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Getting Building fund. The scheme will be delivered in partnership with Capita.

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