Project being developed on former brewery and mining site

Contractors are chasing a deal to buy six residential plots at Legal & General’s £350m mixed-use regeneration scheme in Newcastle city centre.

The 24-acre Newcastle Helix project is being developed by a partnership between Newcastle University, the city council and Legal & General on a site previously used for brewing and coal mining.

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Sir Robert McAlpine’s £28m office scheme at Newcastle Helix

The deal is for plots 12 to 17 of the site, representing around 5.5 acres of the overall site with the land valued at least £5m.

A spokesperson for the university said the procurement exercise will decide both the value of the land and the nature of the housing to be built.

Homes England has placed a requirement for at least 440 homes to be built across the wider development.

Planning consent for 66 homes, which will contribute to Homes England’s quota, has already been secured by local firm Karbon Homes on another plot in a separate deal.

Bidders can appoint their own architects, although the schemes will be carried out under a development agreement which the university said will ensure that the new homes built are “in keeping with the quality of Newcastle Helix”.

The deadline for requests to participate is 18 February.

Work began on the project in 2018 with Bowmer & Kirkland’s £50m National Innovation Centre completed last year.

A £28m, 12-storey office scheme designed by local practice Ryder Architecture is also currently being built at the site by Sir Robert McAlpine.