Construction on thousands of new homes in Newcastle has moved one step forward with Homes England launching procurement for one of the city鈥檚 biggest development sites.
The Forth Yards site, on the outskirts of Newcastle鈥檚 city centre, is on the banks of the River Tyne and stretches for 52 acres.
It has sat vacant for decades due to a string of development challenges. Contaminated land, complex land ownerships and lack of access meant the site needed a huge cash injection to prime it for development.
Newcastle City Council and the North East Combined Authority have tried to move the brownfield development forward. Then Homes England, the government鈥檚 housing development agency, stepped in last year and bought the largest parcel of land on Forth Yards, known as Quayside West.
Together with Network Rail, another significant landowner on the Forth Yards site, Homes England has developed a vision for a western gateway into Newcastle with 2,500 new homes.
The Quayside West parcel of land has capacity for around 1,100 homes and is set to become part of a mixed-use neighbourhood at the heart of Forth Yards.
In August the government committed to investing 拢121.8m for site preparation works to get the project started.
Homes England is now seeking a private sector development partner, with a contract expected to be awarded in October 2026.
Homes England chair Pat Ritchie said: "Forth Yards offers a unique opportunity to help shape the future of Newcastle, bringing new life to a part of the city with huge potential. Beginning the search for a development partner is a major milestone, as we move from vision to delivery at Quayside West.聽
鈥淚n close partnership with Newcastle City Council, the Northeast Combined Authority, Network Rail, and our future partner, we will create a vibrant new neighbourhood that reflects the ambition of the city and offers a place people are proud to call home. It鈥檚 an exciting moment for Newcastle and the northeast, and we are looking forward to working together to make it happen."
Newcastle City Council leader Karen Kilgour said: 鈥淭his is a generational opportunity to transform our city, bring growth to the region and help address the shortage of much-needed housing that towns and cities across the country are facing.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic to see the momentum being maintained at Forth Yards ahead of what promises to be a transformational development for Newcastle and the northeast.
鈥淭he securing of a development partner will be a hugely exciting milestone that brings us ever closer to the point of seeing work taking place on site, and we look forward to continuing to work with partners to make that happen.鈥�
Interested developers are invited to visit https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065812-2025.聽聽
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