New Castle Leazes accommodation expected to be approved on Friday

A £274 million redevelopment of Castle Leazes is set to be approved by Newcastle City Council this week, despite objections from local residents. 

If approved, the new site will accommodate over 2,000 students across two blocks, an increase from the original 1,247 person capacity.

The old development was demolished in late 2024, after opening in 1968.

New plans include five courtyards, buildings up to nine storeys tall, a gym, café, cinema room, and study spaces.

Newcastle University contends that the new development will help ease pressure on residential areas like Jesmond and Sandyford, where the rise of student house shares has long been a point of tension in the community. In the planning application, the university said: “It is intended to capture the essence of [Castle Leazes] as part of the new development and to seek to ensure that this becomes one of the city’s exemplar student living developments, with a wide range of facilities, support and pleasant internal and external spaces that cater to many aspects of contemporary living and study.”  

However, opponents of the development have raised concerns about the size and scale of the new buildings, with one objection submitted to the council on behalf of 73 local residents labelling it a “significant over development” that is “entirely out of character with the surrounding low-rise, historic residential community” Chronicle Live reports.

The letter reads: “We support the principle of redevelopment but not at any cost. What has been proposed is a poorly managed, overbearing scheme that threatens to erase the character, culture, and community of one of Newcastle’s most historic neighbourhoods.” 

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Locals have also flagged the potential for increased anti-social behaviour and pressure on parking and public services, with concerns that the jump from 1,247 to 2,009 student bedrooms could overwhelm the area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, council planners have backed the project, citing “evident demand” and arguing that the buildings would “sit comfortably within its surroundings.”

Council planners said: “The proposed scheme is a good quality design in terms of its layout, scale, and appearance, and would not have an adverse visual impact. Whilst there would be some minor harm to the setting of the Whiteknights (Grade II) building to the north, it is considered that the public benefits (provision of new housing, economic impact) of the scheme outweigh this harm.” 

Newcastle University has partnered with Unite Students for the redevelopment. Unite currently operates several student accommodation buildings across the city.

The contractor employed for the redevelopment, Bowmer and Kirkland, has been behind other major university construction projects including the Stephenson Building and Urban Sciences Building. The new halls are expected to open between 2027 and 2028. 

Reactions to the redevelopment from students have been mixed. Some told The Newcastle Tab they were “devastated” to see it go, while others felt it was “about damn time”. 

Students also expressed concerns about how affordable the new accommodation will be, with Castle Leazes previously being one of the cheaper  options available. On its website, Newcastle University said:  “The price of the student accommodation will be driven by the market. This has been raised with the university for their consideration. The current shortfall of student accommodation does cause pricing challenges which the new Halls of Residence will assist in addressing.” 

Demolition of the 1960s buildings in Spital Tongues began earlier this year, following council approval in July. Explaining the need for redevelopment after announcing the plans in February last year, the university said:  “The current halls of residence is approaching its end of life. There is a need to replace these to ensure a continued accommodation supply… a growth in student population has not been matched with the expansion of university-owned accommodation or met fully in the wider market.” 

You can view the full planning application, including images of the proposed development, here.

Featured image via Youtube