Health Innovation Neighbourhood

Opportunities

Working with partners we'll build on our world leading ageing research to provide innovative solutions for living, leisure, learning and employment.

The Health Innovation Neighbourhood is a 29-acre brownfield site to the west of Newcastle city centre.It will colocate:

intergenerational residential and later living with green and blue space to encourage activity and play
interdisciplinary primary healthcare provision incorporating education and research
interwoven with a ‘spine’ of research and innovation in both academic and commercial infrastructure.

By acting as a ‘living laboratory’ focussed on digital enablement, health and care and the anthropogenic environment the neighbourhood will improve lives at local, regional and global levels.

Vision

The vision is to be the UK’s first health innovation neighbourhood. We're creating space for research to come together with business, government and people to shape the future of health and ageing. The work will be constantly changing as we adapt to a changing population and environment.

Health

Developing best practice in health and ageing, connecting research to community and environment, and advancing new techniques in health, care and ageing.

Wealth

Innovating and creating new economic opportunity, with good jobs and lifelong learning as well as a wider value chain supporting improved health and ageing.

Wellbeing

Delivering an inclusive and accessible place based on research, with high environmental and connectivity standards and promoting physical and mental health.

There is a dramatic health divide between the North and South of England. Addressing local health inequalities is a core ambition for the scheme. We will identify the most most effective means by which neighbourhoods can promote healthy and sustainable living and ageing. The findings will then be used to influence healthy neighbourhood developments elsewhere in the UK and around the world.

Delivered by four interconnected themes

Research and Innovation

Research and innovation are the golden thread through this new health innovation neighbourhood.

The research programme will explore interdisciplinary solutions for longer and healthier lives. From medical sciences to humanities, we will generate new insights and innovations.

The site will host research activity across discovery, translation and application of new ideas.

New treatments, products and services will promote and support population health and ageing. Research into diagnostics, advanced therapeutics and rare diseases will combine with planning and place-making to create a unique place.

From Newcastle. For the world.

Everybody will benefit from strong links with the wider Newcastle research, innovation and healthcare system. Local and regional populations will be at the heart of the neighbourhood. And international research exchanges will share learning, insight, and best practice. The neighbourhood will bring together academic research, healthcare providers, commercial partners and SMEs to work alongside researchers and local communities. We also plan to include residential and care offerings on site. They will also be part of the collaborative network. Together we will all help people to live longer, healthier lives.

A living test bed

By developing hybrid models of health and care the neighbourhood will be a living test bed:

Academics and NHS practitioners will trial innovative methods of diagnosis and treatment
Smart Homes and wearables will enable ethical data collection to develop comprehensive insights into health and wellbeing for individuals
Real-time data from smart homes and wearables will improve diagnostics and research into provision for health and ageing
Positive adaptations can be trialled in housing and leisure venues across the site before rolling out more widely

By integrating research and innovation with urban living and placemaking, the neighbourhood will be a centre for frontier approaches to health and wellbeing.

Good Employment and Skills

The scheme has an important role to play in cementing Newcastle's position as an exemplar of inclusive growth.

Economic ambition and growth will support neighbours, the city, the wider region and the UK as a whole.

Research, healthcare and commercial occupiers will commit to an Employer Charter
We will all work with schools, colleges and universities to create and promote lifelong learning pathways
Working with entrepreneurs we will spur productivity through new technologies and practices

Partners working with us will act as anchor institutions and economic influencers. Together we will ensure that inclusive and high-quality employment opportunities are offered even beyond site boundaries.

People and Community

The scheme will be designed with the local community, grounded in principles of sustainability, inclusivity and accessibility.

It will reflect the area's history and protect its relationship with the community. To meet the needs of future generations living here community provision will focus across three areas:

New approaches to independence will ensure people are safe and healthy in a range of different environments
Every person deserves to live a healthy life with equitable access to care and opportunities
Welcoming, fun and fit-for-purpose spaces

Delivered well, local people and residents will contribute to the site’s success, will benefit from the neighbourhood's growth, and be proud to live or work here.

Sustainable Placemaking

The scheme will be a shared, accessible and welcoming space. World class research facilities will be part of a liveable neighbourhood.

The following principles will guide development and operation of the site:

Sustainability and decarbonisation
Promoting healthy lifestyles for everybody
Supporting connectivity with routes to and through the site
Social spaces and interaction

Background

Since the 1960s, we’ve changed the landscape of ageing, from fundamental science through to business innovation. We're a global leader in ageing and health research and innovation.

In 2017 we purchased the former Newcastle General Hospital site from Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Our vision is to develop a health innovation neighbourhood.

We formed a development joint venture with Genr8 Kajima Regeneration Ltd in March 2022. The partnership brings the University together with Kajima, the pan-European real asset developer, and leading regeneration developer, Genr8.

Planning consent was secured for the detailed masterplan in April 2024.

The facts

Promoter: NGK Ltd - a joint venture between Newcastle University and Genr8 Kajima Regeneration Ltd

Scale: £500M+ GDV

Sector: academic, office, residential, leisure

Location: Western edge of Newcastle city centre

Investment type: Development funder

Programme: 2017 – 2035

Planning status: consent secured April 2024

Description

The site comprises 20 acres of development space. Plot sizes range between 0.4 and 2.7 acres. The approved masterplan includes:

350,000 sqft research and innovation
350,000 sqft business, employment and education
100,000 NHS and other health-related facilities
1,250 new homes, up to 15% affordable

Green space is incorporated throughout the site. Existing boundary walling is likely to be reduced. This will create porous boundaries with the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Demolition work commenced on site in May 2024.

Promoter and partnerships

We're working with a range of public and private bodies to bring forward the development. This includes:

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Newcastle City Council
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Northumbria University
North East Combined Authority
Homes England

A view of the current site from above. The view is take from the Westgate Road side of the site, and the current site buildings can be seen alongside the terrace housing on the right. In the distance, the town moor can be seen.

The existing biomedical research buildings on site will remain

This image show the empty plots currently available on the site. To the left and middle distance, you can see the remaining buildings, which show there is a lot of land to be developed

The site has clear plots ready for development

This view shows you how the site fits into the local area. The view is from the town moor and looks across the current buildings and on to the streets surrounding the site, with Newcastle's Centre on the horizon

A mixture of building uses and ages exists on site

The front on view of the current buildings, showing the mix of used and unused building and the space there is for redevelopment. In the background you can see the stretch of the town moor. On each side are streets of terrace housing. The old general hospital building is in the centre

Nearby streets make it clear why this site must be developed as a neighbourhood

The site is in the West End of Newcastle

The scheme masterplan. Westgate Road is to the left hand side of the image.

An architectural impression of a tree lined boulevard between buildings. Pedestrians and cyclists make their way towards and away from the development's centre.

A pedestrian and cycle boulevard could provide a clear route into the heart of the neighbourhood.

An artist's impression of how, at the centre of the neighbourhood, the commercial boulevard opens out to create a focal community space and cultural hub.

At the centre of the neighbourhood, the commercial boulevard opens out to create a focal community space and cultural hub.

An artist's impression of how the fringes of the new development can blend with the existing housing. The impression shows large buildings being kept back from the new development's edge. It also shows that existing boundary walls are removed.

We hope to blend the edges of the development with existing streets, breaking down physical barriers to open up walking and cycle routes.

An artist's impression showing how a street can combine pavements and cycle lanes to promote active travel.

We aim to promote walking and cycling as methods of active travelling within and through the site.

Vehicle movement on site is limited in favour of promoting active travel. We're planning a loop at the southern end of the site that will support traffic coming to, and leaving from the site.