Regent Centre

Regent Centre is a large business park in the Gosforth area of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The Centre is currently home to a variety of companies, including banking group Northern Rock who have located their Head Office on the site. The Centre has its own transport interchange; comprising of a Metro station, as well as a medium-sized bus station.

North British Properties started to build Regent Centre in 1970 and finished in 1981; at completion it was the largest office complex in Europe, covering a total area of 11 acres. [Cite web |url=http://www.mayfieldproperty.co.uk/public/docs/regent_centre.htm |title=Regent Centre |publisher=Mayfield Property |accessdate=2008-10-09] The current owner-developer is the Fordgate Group. The land is the former site of the Regent Pit of the Coxlodge Colliery (coal mine). The total letable area is 350,000 sq ft.

Regent Centre houses the Newcastle regional centre for the Open University, although it is being relocated to Gateshead [cite web |url=http://www.nebusiness.co.uk/business-news/technology-news/2008/10/02/network-equal-of-best-in-world-51140-21943992/ |title=Network equal of best in world |publisher=The Journal |date=2008-10-02 |accessdate=2008-10-09] ,as well as the Regional HQ of HM Revenue & Customs. Other tenants include the Entec, Imass, Labour Party [Cite web |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-116779568.html |title=Labour move fuels speculation of poll |publisher=The Journal |date=2004-05-19 |accessdate=2008-10-09] , [http://www.regentsandwich.co.uk/ The Regent Sandwich Company] and Gleeds. A notable former tenant was The Sage Group.

Within walking distance of Regent Centre Metro, there is a DHS Head Office, Gosforth High School, Gosforth Library and Customer Service Centre, Northern Rock Head Office and Gosforth Leisure Centre, comprising several amenities including swimming pools and gym. There is also an ASDA superstore close by, which in mid 2007 had an extension built which houses a Restaurant. Gosforth High Street is also within a few minutes walk.

New developments

There are many current developments in and around Regent Centre. As of March 2008 the new Northern Rock Building and Regent Point are under construction.

Regent Point

Planning applications were granted to expand and modernise a large section of the Regent Centre site, which is adjacent to the Metro line. In April 2007, building work began on this area of land which is also called "Regent Point". It will be a four story office building with a glazed corner tower and modelled to be similar to the existing Regent Centre buildings.

This plot was vacant from many years, as the original regent centre building which occupied it was demolished in 1999. There have been many different accepted plans for this site, including plans for a 5 story building in 1998. In 2004 there were plans for a 7 story building with retail space on the ground floor, however these plans were withdrawn in July 2005.

Northern Rock

The focal point of Regent Centre since 1965 [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/4023995.stm |title=Bank unveils tower revamp plans |publisher=BBC News |date=2004-11-18 |accessdate=2008-03-31] had been Northern Rock's old tower 7 storey building. In early 2006 this building was demolished by Thompsons of Prudhoe [cite web |url=http://www.thompsonsofprudhoe.com/N11-NORTHERN-ROCK-UPDATE.html |publisher=Thompsons of Prudhoe |title=Northern Rock Update |accessdate=2008-03-31] and building work began on its replacement building in late 2006. Two of Northern Rocks other buildings on the site were completed in the 1990s, two further buildings were built in the early 2000s.

The new building is 10 storeys high and cost £35 million is to be completed in 2008. Taylor Woodrow, Desco [cite web |url=http://www.desco.uk.com/projects/project.php?id=83&cid=2 |title=Northern Rock - Phase 5 2005-2008 |publisher=Desco |accessdate=2008-03-31] and Red Box Architecture [cite web |url=http://www.redboxarchitecture.co.uk/selectedproject.php?sector=2&id=73 |title=Northern Rock Tower |publisher=Red Box Architecture |accessdate=2008-03-31] are involved with the design and construction. Northern Rock had financial difficulties in 2007 due to the subprime mortgage crisis and was nationalised in 2008. This led to the company deciding to downsize, including job cubs and deciding to put this new tower building up for let or sale. [cite web |url=http://companyinfo.northernrock.co.uk/corporateRelations/news/article.asp?newsID=197 |title=Northern Rock redundancy consultation ends |publisher=Northern Rock |date=2008-08-29 |accessdate=2008-10-01]

Buildings and occupants

With the new developments, as of October 2008, there are empty office space to let. [cite web |url=http://commercialsearch.knightfrank.co.uk/property/display/33026 |title=Regent Point property details |publisher=Knight Frank |accessdate=2008-10-06] [cite web |url=http://commercialsearch.knightfrank.co.uk/property/display/33027 |title=Regent Centre property details |publisher=Knight Frank |accessdate=2008-10-06] The buildings are named after well known local industrialists and architects, such as John Dobson and Lord Eldon.; Arden House
* Secretary of State
* Health and Safety; Horsley North
* Newcastle College
* Northern Rock
* Adderley Featherstone
* Babtie
* Cundalls; Horsley South
* Northern Rock
* Gleeds
* Open University
* Cundalls; Eldon West
* Open University; Northumbria House
* Entec; Dobson/Eldon East
* Grainger Suite
* Customs and Excise
* Northern Rock
* Cable & Wireless

References

External links

* [http://www.regentcentregosforth.co.uk Regent Centre Official Website]
* [http://www.regentpoint.co.uk/ Regent Point Official Website]

; Historic photographs
* [http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/tlt/photo/018902.htm Photograph of Northern Rock Building, 1969] at Newcastle libraries service
* [http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/tlt/photo/045221.htm Photograph of Regent Centre, 1977] at Newcastle libraries service
* [http://www.newscast.co.uk/media/mediapreview_big.jsp?js=false&id=2980 Northern Rock plc Head Office, 2000 photo 1] , [http://www1.newscast.co.uk/media/mediapreview_big.jsp?id=2979 photo 2] , [http://www1.newscast.co.uk/media/mediapreview_big.jsp?id=2978 photo 3] at Newscast
* [http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=3176 Images of Regent Centre, 1977 & 1978] at Newcastle University's SINE project