The revised approach to regeneration of the West End consists of several elements:

• completing the agreed demolition plans (at the end of 2005, a total of some 1700 houses will have been demolished);
• development of a Housing Expo in Scotswood;
• development of the economically most promising part of the West End;
• coordinating future development and investment in the Scotswood/Benwell area.

A Housing Expo to improve Scotswood’s image
A Housing Expo is an international demonstration of innovation in both urban design and individual house design, alongside cultural events, exhibitions and shows. Housing Expos have been developed elsewhere, for instance in Malmo (Sweden). The Scotswood Expo will be the first to be located in existing communities. It will encompass some 300 houses and is scheduled to open in 2008.
Together with the establishment of a new City Academy, the Expo should boost confidence in the Scotswood area.
At the moment, the Council is seeking consultancy support to prepare a detailed business case and development framework.

Development of the most promising part of the West End
Newcastle’s City Centre is experiencing a property boom. The largest remaining opportunity for growth of the City Centre is the Discovery Quarter, the part of the West End that adjoins the Centre.
This area has a lot of potential, for instance as an office area and for building some 2500 new family homes. This opens up the opportunity to extend the buoyant city centre markets further west.
At the moment, a development strategy is being drafted for presentation to the Executive in February 2005.

Coordinating future development and investment in the Scotswood/Benwell area
Relatively short-term developments such as the Housing Expo and the City Academy should be incorporated in a medium- and long-term framework that also addresses the development of a city centre, economic development, public transport, etc. So an Area Action Plan for the Scotswood and Benwell Area will be prepared.