ABSTRACT
In 2004 twin planning applications for the erection of a 32-storey tower on Newcastle’s Quayside were withdrawn by the developers. The proposals were the latest in a series of tall building proposals across the Tyneside conurbation that had failed to gain planning permission. In Newcastle specifically, consensus over the type of regeneration that is appropriate in the city, together with an active historic building conservation policy, has dominated discussions about tall buildings in the city. Decisions about tall buildings are being made without a specific tall buildings policy, although there is a clear policy background, particularly in terms of a major characterisation of the Tyne Gorge, which was undertaken by a consortium of organisations in the city. This chapter places the tall building proposals rejected in 2004 within the context of rapid regeneration in Newcastle up to the recession from 2008; regeneration which has been centred on landmark iconic projects and a clear characterisation of the existing townscape of the Quayside and wider city.
