A SERIES of images have been revealed showing how a huge 18-storey tower block could transform views of the Newcastle Quayside skyline.
Developers are hoping to build the major new apartment complex on Malmo Quay, at the mouth of the Ouseburn.
The plans have already sparked fears that one of the city’s most famous views could be forever lost, namely the spectacular scenery enjoyed by patrons at the Free Trade Inn.
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The popular pub’s bosses have spoken out against the project, which is now under consideration by Newcastle City Council planners, claiming the tower would damage “absolutely iconic” views of the Tyne and its bridges.
Concept drawings lodged with the city council shortly before Christmas by developers PfP-igloo confirm just how radically the building, which would be one of the tallest structures in Newcastle, would alter the riverside landscape.
As well as showing the view from the Free Trade Inn if the multi-million pound scheme were to go ahead, there are also new glimpses of how it would look from other locations – including from the Tyne Bridge, Byker Bridge, and Walker Road.
Some of the images also show how the tower would compare to the proposed Whey Aye wheel development earmarked for the nearby site of the old Spillers Mill, which at 460ft would stand far taller than the 223ft housing block.
Construction is yet to begin on the wheel and its surrounding Giants on the Quayside leisure complex, which was controversially given the green light by the city council in 2019.
PfP-igloo’s plans include 150 new homes in total, spread across Malmo Quay and Spillers Quay.
As well as 62 apartments in the tower, there are 13 townhouses and two duplex apartments planned on Malmo – as well as public cycleways, footpaths, and riverside seating.
Up to 73 homes in a further set of buildings up to eight storeys tall on Spillers, while the existing Cycle Hub building would be demolished and relocated to Malmo.
PfP-igloo has said that the tower had been “sited and sculpted to protect neighbouring properties’ views as much as possible, while creating a distinctive landmark” and that its design was “significantly slimmed down from earlier proposals”.
It has been argued that such a large tower is needed to make the regeneration of the disused land financially viable, on a site that has proved problematic due to issues caused by underground sewers and a water pumping station.
The scheme is expected to generate significant opposition before councillors decide its fate later this year.
This is not the first time that Malmo Quay has been a source of controversy, with the disused land once being eyed up for a 32-storey skyscraper.
After that gigantic design was axed, a subsequent 13-floor block was also rejected by the council but later approved by a Government planning inspector – though it was never built.
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