PlaceShaping in Newcastle; Sunshine on the Tyne
6 May 2025
“If local authorities aren’t Placeshapers, who are?” Those words of Vicky McDermott, Director of Housing and Communities at Newcastle City Council had really struck me since Matthew and I had met Vicky at a recent sector event. PlaceShapers CE Catherine Ryder, Chair Matthew Walker and I had the pleasure of spending some time with Vicky in Newcastle, including a tour of the incredible Civic Centre, to discuss how PlaceShapers could support some of the fantastic work Vicky and the team are looking to do within the vibrant city of Newcastle.
As a proud member of the PlaceShapers board, it’s always a pleasure to discuss the vital role of place-shaping plays within the creation of sustainable communities. The opportunity to collaborate, communicate and connect with colleagues across the sector and share some of the fantastic examples of the place-shaping activity our members are undertaking within their communities always leads to inspiring conversations and a shared commitments to making a positive impact on our communities.
A period of significant change
On 29 November 2023, following a consultation with residents and leaseholders, the Council decided to go ahead with plans to close Your Homes Newcastle and bring all services back in house. From July 2024, all council homes and housing services within Newcastle transferred back to the council. Vicky has been appointed to head up this new team and it was clear from our conversations that she has exciting plans for future of housing within this great city. A key element of Vicky’s broad remit is around communities within Newcastle and this was the key focus of our conversation.
A vision for place-shaping
Vicky is at the start of an exciting journey in reviewing the strategic opportunities for communities across Newcastle, enhancing diversity and opportunity for people across the city. Our discussion focussed on some of the key challenges the city faces and where examples from across the PlaceShapers network could provide potential solutions. These examples came from across the country and from members small to large, including examples from Ongo and the visit the day before. A great example of the diversity of our network and how our events like our study visits and leaders events later this year bring people together to share place-shaping in practice.
Looking ahead
As we look ahead, it's clear to me that the future of place-shaping lies in continued partnership and innovation, whatever the nature of the provider supporting that work. By working together, we can create sustainable communities that are resilient, inclusive, and thriving. The visit to Newcastle City Council was a reminder of the incredible potential we have when we unite our efforts and focus on the common goal of making our communities better places to live.