Newcastle City Council is set to consider a revised regeneration vision for the Ouseburn riverside, following years of controversy over earlier plans. The council's cabinet is expected to approve the sale of an additional 3.66 acres of local authority-owned land at Spillers Quay to developer PfP-igloo, a move that could allow a new, smaller-scale proposal for the site to move forward.
Background and backlash
Original plans, unveiled in 2021, included an 18-storey tower block of flats on the vacant Malmo Quay site, plus dozens of flats on neighbouring Spillers Quay. The tower was branded a "monstrosity" that would alter the view up the Tyne from the Free Trade Inn pub, attracting around 1,500 objections.
Although the tower was later scaled back, with revised designs unveiled around 18 months ago, the council has never made a decision on planning permission, and no version of the scheme has progressed to construction.
Revised approach and land sale
Lib Dem council leader Colin Ferguson said the land sale would allow a revised proposal that "significantly reduces the scale of development previously put forward for Malmo Quay". The council stated that public backlash had "helped inform a substantially revised approach that will deliver new homes, transform empty and unattractive brownfield land while preserving the iconic river view of the Quayside skyline from the east of the city".
A report ahead of the cabinet meeting next Monday says the deal would create a "larger and more viable development parcel" for the largely vacant area. The Spillers site was formerly home to a flour mill that closed in 2007 and was demolished in 2012. It was also the subject of the never-built Whey Aye observation wheel plans and has hosted the Valentine's funfair.
Community and facilities
If the latest vision proceeds, it would include relocating the existing Cycle Hub to a new building at Malmo Quay and delivering a new community and commercial facility managed by the Ouseburn Trust. There are also plans to extend the pedestrian and cycle route along the riverside.
The council declined to disclose the land sale price or expected timescales for the regeneration. The 2025 version of the plans included a 10-storey tower, 13 townhouses, and a new Cycle Hub building on Malmo Quay, plus a further 80 flats at Spillers Quay in buildings no taller than four storeys.
Ouseburn Trust chief executive Chris Barnard welcomed the "new approach to balancing the need for homes with consideration of what the wider community values about Ouseburn", adding that the Trust welcomes the opportunity to help shape the next phase of regeneration. If agreed by cabinet, the land sale would only proceed if planning permission is granted.
