South Shields town centre revamp: Views sought

People are being asked for ideas on how to improve a coastal town centre.

A six-week consultation will start on Monday asking South Shields residents about proposed regeneration plans.

Proposals already announced include moving South Tyneside College as well as new housing at Holborn riverside.

The Labour-run South Tyneside Council said it had “invested significantly” in the town over the past decade to “generate confidence” in the private sector.

As well as several drop-in events and an online survey, leaflets will be sent to more than 50,000 homes.

“This is about gathering information to help inform a masterplan, which will be a live, evolving document, flexible enough to react to changing markets and local and national circumstances,” said councillor Margaret Meling, lead member for economic growth.

“We want residents and businesses to be at the heart of discussions about the future of their town and so we’d encourage as many people as possible to get involved.”

It is the latest step in refreshed regeneration plans for South Shields which have seen some previous proposals halted, including a cinema and The Glassworks riverside office development.

The council is instead focusing on increasing footfall, more town centre accommodation and encouraging businesses and investors to “buy-in” to its vision, especially in areas such as King Street which have high levels of private ownership, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Wider regeneration proposals include sufficient parking, encouraging pop-up opportunities and to look at the “oversupply” of traditional retail units in parts of the town, which has lost a number of big high street names in recent years.

The South Shields consultation is likely to be the first in a series of the council’s so-called “South Tyneside Conversations”, with further talks for neighbouring Jarrow and Hebburn planned in 2023.