Plans have been submitted to the Council for a temporary urban garden at Hillgate Quay. The development would be open in June 2018 at the site located between HMS Calliope and the Swing Bridge to coincide with the Great Exhibition for the North.
The aim is to bring visitors to the area and support the local economy. No costs of the garden will fall on the council. Instead, the costs will me covered by the private sector. Plans for the garden have been drawn up by Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medalist and TV garden designer Diarmuid Gavin . #
He aims to create a cultural oasis and would be the largest container garden in the world. There will be open areas of trees and mixed planting using 90 shipping containers split between two main areas, the Plaza Garden and the Main Urban Garden. There will be retail, catering and art attractions as well as start-up and local businesses.
There will also be space for the community and voluntary sector to ensure wider social value and engagement connecting local communities to the Quays.
About 100 people will work at the site, while volunteers and National Trust gardeners would be involved in maintaining the garden. Fruit and vegetables grown at the site would be used by the catering outlets. It is anticipated that the site could attract 200,000 visitors.
Planning permission will be needed but if approved, work could begin on site in January with completion in June 2018.
Lib Dem Leader on Gateshead Council, Jonathan Wallace, welcomed the plans but at a meeting of the Gateshead and Newcastle Partnership on 5th October, he questioned why the garden will only be temporary.
"Given the investment that will go into this garden, and the likelihood that it could continue to attract visitors to the area, therefore boosting the economy, we should be looking at a permanent feature there, not a temporary one," said Jonathan.
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