How To Object

The Council Planning portal is now live for objections towards the proposed development on Malmo Quay, including the 18 storey tower clock.

The application is live for comments now, and although the ‘Soft Deadline’ for objections was 17th Feb, the council will continue to accept objections for the next few weeks.

The most effective way to influence planning application is with official objections to the council. Simply stating 'I don't like it' is not enough.

Now, we know that not everyone will be confident in making an objection on their own, so below you will find a little guide on the best way to go about it with a list of points you may want to consider including.

For now though, we'd like to encourage anyone that feels comfortable already to make an objection to get straight on it. There's a link to the planning portal below where you can make your objection, though you may have to sign up if you've not used it before.  Alternatively comments can be submitted by email to malmo.quays@newcastle.gov.uk or jill.young@newcastle.gov.uk

Newcastle Planning Portal - Malmo Application

Advice on commenting taken from the Free Trade Inn


The aim of this guide is to help with anyone that wants to make a comment on the Malmo Quay development including those who may not have the experience or confidence to go it alone. Some of the information below will be repeated from our previous emails, but we want to make sure everything is available here.

The most effective way to influence planning applications is with official comments/objections through the planning portal, based around relevant planning issues.
Please feel free to let your feelings be known in your comment, but keep in mind the need to be relevant, simply stating 'I don't like it' or 'it's ugly' is not enough.

Below we have laid out how to make a comment, planning issues that may be valid and some points you might want to consider. We know that many will already have opinions about the proposal, but it is the ability to link them to relevant planning issues which means the council will take them into account.

What is the proposed Malmo Quay Development?

Developer PFP Igloo has submitted an application to develop the Malmo Quay site including detailed plans for the former featuring an 18 storey tower block.

Full info on the development can be found on the Ouseburn Trust's page here or on the council planning portal


When is the deadline for commenting?

The cut off for comments in 17th February

Where do I make my comment?

Comments can be made via the Newcastle Council Planning Portal, which can be found here. We are aware of problems registering with the portal for folk with non-Newcastle postcodes...
If you're experiencing difficulties with the portal or do not want to register you can email your comments to...

Jill.young@newcastle.gov.uk

You can also make comments in writing to Development Management, Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH

What should be included in my comment?

Anonymous comments will not be counted so please make sure to include your full name and address.

Also include the planning application reference 2021/2404/01/EIA and make clear you're commenting about the 'Malmo Quay' development.


What are 'relevant planning issues'?

The Council can only take Planning issues into account when it makes a decision on an application. These will vary depending on the proposal and the site circumstances, but may include some, or all of the list below.

(If you have points you'd like to make already formed, then please try and make them relevant to points in the list below)

• The Council's planning policies

• Central government planning guidance

• The size, appearance, layout and density of the proposed development and it's appropriateness to the existing topography of the area.

• Daylight, sunlight and overshadowing

• Overlooking or loss of privacy

• Means of access, parking, servicing, traffic generation, highway safety

• Impact on landscape and ecological habitats

• Effect on listed buildings, conservation areas and archaeology

• Noise and disturbance

• Air quality and odours

• Contamination

• Flood risk

• Renewable energy, sustainability of proposed development

• Crime prevention and community safety

The following are matters which the Council cannot take into account:

• Private property matters such as boundary and access disputes, rights to light, restrictive covenants, capacity of private drains, damage to property during construction

• Effects on property value

• Trade competition

• Loss of view!!!

• Building Regulations matters such as structural safety and fire prevention and matters covered by other laws such as alcohol or gaming licences

• The applicant's personal conduct, history or motives

What could I think about including in my comment?

We've been working to get together some points relevant to the proposal that plenty of you have expressed already to us and that we know many will be keen to be heard on.

We've stayed away from linking too much to specific policies, and from providing material that can be copied and pasted as directly copied comments will be disregarded. Below you will find some key points for consideration and some suggestions for content, as we've asked before though, please rewrite in your own words.

If you'd like more substance on actual policies we'd recommend the Council's Core Strategy and Urban Core Plan.

Key points for consideration in making a submission to the Malmo Quay development

Scale and massing, inappropriate development and impact on local amenity
Consider the development in sense of scale and mass. Is it appropriate? Does it impact and change the existing built development and topography?

The Quayside and Ouseburn’s built environment is defined by distinctive buildings, many of which are historic, of different sizes and orientations. Does the proposal respect or enhance the historic character of Quayside and Ouseburn?

The area is home to several listed buildings and heritage assets, will the new building alter the siteline or enjoyment of local heritage sites such as…
Grade II Listed Ouseburn School
Sailors Bethal
Tyne Bar Public House
Toffee Factory
Glasshouse Bridge

Daylight, sunlight and overshadowing
A building of this size will have a huge impact in terms of blocking sunlight and casting a shadow including significant impact on existing businesses and residential properties including Free Trade Inn and Tyne Bar.

(Local residents of Mariners Wharf, Malings, Steenberg Yard, City Peaks may want to include potential loss of sunlight / overshadowing of their homes)


Quality of Design
Does the proposed development, including the tower block fit in with the surrounding area, including the historic and repurposed industrial buildings of the East End of the Quayside and Ouseburn?
Would you accept that the colour scheme and materials used are sympathetic to the existing built environment, including the industrial heritage of the Ouseburn and Quayside?


Highways, transport, parking, and air quality + traffic generation
Consideration should be given to the impact of the development and the associated vehicles on the existing highways infrastructure, and the provision of parking for the development. What impact might the application have on neighbouring developments, and the highways infrastructure. Consider the existing public transport provision and the suitability of this. Do you have first hand experience of problems in the area as a resident, pedestrian, cyclist or driver?

Public transport links are extremely limited with no buses passing the site currently. Access to the two nearest metro stations both involve long, steep gradients and both are over a kilometre away.

Parking; The submitted plans for Malmo Quay appear to only show 18 parking spaces for the proposed 62 apartments of the tower block, woefully inadequate and guaranteed to even greater pressure on local on-street parking, and creating potentially dangerous situations on the national cycle route 72 which runs along the Quayside.

*It's important to remember that the proposed 73 Parking Spaces on Spillers Wharf are not actually part of this application. Even then, at best they won't be available for at least 3-4 years, will also have to service the 76 apartments potentially being build there and there's a fully functioning and already overpressured carpark being removed to create that site *

These are just a few points, and we'd encourage anyone to include their own comments, especially those with planning or building knowledge.

Noise Impact
The Tyne Bar have recently posted that they believe ( through advice from a professional acoustic survey), that allowing residential buildings so close to their business would open them up to complaints from future residents. The ability of a business to protect itself from this kind of complaint is only available at this point in the planning process. As soon as a residence moves in, their rights take precedence. This is the only chance to protect the Tyne Bar from undue complaints in future.

The Cycle Hub

As part of the plans the Cycle Hub building is to be pulled down and the businesses rehomed on Malmo Quay. The new building however is not big enough to fit the current operation in.

Cycle Hub is an important community asset and services the national cycle route, and is now under threat. The Hub building is a community focal point, and the Cycle Hub business including workshop and Bike hire is vital to the health of the community.

The Cycle Hub is enjoyed by users of many abilities, and the plans to rehome the Hub do not appear to have any accessible parking spaces and will disadvantage disabled service users.