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The Tower (Gosforth)
Encyclopedia
Partnership House is a landmark tower office building in Gosforth
, Newcastle upon Tyne
, United Kingdom
. It is located at the Regent Centre
business park, and was originally built to act as the headquarters of the nationalised British bank Northern Rock
. It lies in the West Gosforth
council ward. The building is owned by the local council, Newcastle City Council
, whereas the majority of the Regent Centre buildings are owned by the Fordgate Group. The council bought the building, initially known as The Tower, for £22 million, and currently leased to green support services company, Eaga
.
. This became the focal point of the Fordgate Group's Regent Centre
complex in Newcastle upon Tyne. The Northern Rock Building Society was formed in 1965 as a result of the merger of Northern Counties Permanent Building Society (established in 1850) and Rock Building Society (established in 1865). Although not technically a part of Regent Centre, the Northern Rock buildings are adjacent to the complex.
During the 1990s, the expanding building society built two new buildings at its Northern Rock House site in Gosforth; the Kielder and Prudhoe buildings. By the late 1990s, along with many other building societies, the Northern Rock Building Society decided to demutualise, and become a bank. After becoming a bank Northern Rock began to grow quickly. This growth in business created the need for more buildings at its headquarters in Gosforth, so two sandstone and glass buildings were erected in the early 2000s.
Northern Rock also has customer contact centre operations at both Doxford International Business Park
in Sunderland
and at its head office. The bank was also developing a site at Rainton Bridge, which was sold to npower
.
on 13 September 2004, and the decision to grant the application was made on 17 January 2006. The branch of the bank located in the original tower building was closed on 16 July 2005, to allow for the demolition.
In early 2006 the 1960s tower building was demolished by Thompsons of Prudhoe, and building work began on its replacement building in June 2006. Building the new tower was the final phase of the redevelopment of the Gosforth site. The design for this new tower was similar to the sandstone and glass buildings built in the early 2000s. The Red Box Design Group has been involved with the development of all of the currently standing buildings for the bank.
The new 10-storey building cost £35 million. Taylor Woodrow
was the main contractor, and companies such as Desco
and Red Box Architecture were involved with the design and construction. The building has been designed to achieve an "Excellent" BREEAM
rating. The tower has a semi circular floor plate containing flexible open plan space and external roof top hospitality facilities.
, due to problems stemming from the subprime mortgage crisis
. After the press reported the news, a bank run
commenced, where scared customers began to pull their money out of the bank. Private bids for the bank failed, and eventually in February 2008, the bank was nationalised
. At the time of its nationalisation, the bank was mid-way through construction of the 10-storey tower that would provide a focus for the whole site.
The new tower block, simply known as The Tower, was completed in November 2008, originally intended to create 1500 jobs, and act as the main entrance and focal point of the company headquarters.
This led to the company deciding to downsize, including job cubs and deciding to put this new tower building up for let or sale, as the additional space has become surplus to requirements. The site at Rainton Bridge is now also to be sold or let to a third party.
The Tower which had a Restaurant area on the ground floor and coffee shop facilities on first floor, had a total lettable area of 120,023sq ft. Gavin Black & Partners and GVA Lamb & Edge were appointed as the joint sole agents for the property. At November 2009 the lease for the building stood at £2.25 million a year.
proposed to spend £22 million purchasing the building, and will let it out to another firm, a company set up by the council with support services firm Eaga
, on a 25 year lease. A maturity loan over 40 years from the Public Works Loan Board with a predicted interest rate of less than 4.5% will be taken out by the council. The council expect to make money from leasing the building, in excess of the amount that they paid for it. One floor of the building will be sub-let back to the council by Eaga.
However in May 2009, the plans of the Liberal Democrat Council
to buy the Tower were thrown into doubt. This was due to Northern Rock deciding to defer their decision to sell the building, as well as opposition from the local Labour Party
. On 12 May The Journal
newspaper reported that the Northern Rock board had approved the deal, that the Labour opposition had been quelled. This was after a report refuting Labour's claims was put before two scrutiny panels, and that a motion to send the decision back for further discussions was defeated by seven votes to six, at the Civic Centre.
In October 2009 the council completed their purchase of the Tower, and renamed it as Partnership House. From January 2010 there will be more than 1000 workers in the offices for "Real Partnership" - a partnership between the City Council and Eaga. It was officially opened by Peter Mandelson
.
The building has the following approximate net lettable floor areas:
Northern Rock and Regent Centre
Gosforth
Gosforth is an area of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom, to the north of the city centre. Gosforth constituted an urban district from 1895 to 1974, when it became part of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne. It has a population of 23,620...
, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is located at the Regent Centre
Regent Centre
Regent Centre is a large business park in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The Centre is home to a variety of companies, including banking group Northern Rock whose Head Office is located on the site...
business park, and was originally built to act as the headquarters of the nationalised British bank Northern Rock
Northern Rock
Northern Rock plc is a British bank, best known for becoming the first bank in 150 years to suffer a bank run after having had to approach the Bank of England for a loan facility, to replace money market funding, during the credit crisis in 2007. Having failed to find a commercial buyer for...
. It lies in the West Gosforth
West Gosforth
West Gosforth is an electoral ward in the north of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. It was created in 2004. The population of the ward is 9,681, 3.7% of the total population of Newcastle upon Tyne...
council ward. The building is owned by the local council, Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council is the local government authority for Newcastle upon Tyne, a city in Tyne and Wear, England. The council consists of 78 councillors, three for each of the city's 26 wards...
, whereas the majority of the Regent Centre buildings are owned by the Fordgate Group. The council bought the building, initially known as The Tower, for £22 million, and currently leased to green support services company, Eaga
Eaga
Eaga plc was a British company supplying energy efficiency products. It was headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne. In April 2011 it was acquired by Carillion.- History :...
.
The 1960s Northern Rock Tower
In the 1960s, a 10 storey tower building was constructed for the newly formed Northern Rock Building Society in GosforthGosforth
Gosforth is an area of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom, to the north of the city centre. Gosforth constituted an urban district from 1895 to 1974, when it became part of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne. It has a population of 23,620...
. This became the focal point of the Fordgate Group's Regent Centre
Regent Centre
Regent Centre is a large business park in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The Centre is home to a variety of companies, including banking group Northern Rock whose Head Office is located on the site...
complex in Newcastle upon Tyne. The Northern Rock Building Society was formed in 1965 as a result of the merger of Northern Counties Permanent Building Society (established in 1850) and Rock Building Society (established in 1865). Although not technically a part of Regent Centre, the Northern Rock buildings are adjacent to the complex.
During the 1990s, the expanding building society built two new buildings at its Northern Rock House site in Gosforth; the Kielder and Prudhoe buildings. By the late 1990s, along with many other building societies, the Northern Rock Building Society decided to demutualise, and become a bank. After becoming a bank Northern Rock began to grow quickly. This growth in business created the need for more buildings at its headquarters in Gosforth, so two sandstone and glass buildings were erected in the early 2000s.
Northern Rock also has customer contact centre operations at both Doxford International Business Park
Doxford International Business Park
Doxford International is a business park located at the A19 / A690 interchange on the outskirts of Sunderland, in the North East of England. Previously it was a greenfield site, it was designated as an Enterprise Zone in 1990 in response to the decline of the area's former ship building and coal...
in Sunderland
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
and at its head office. The bank was also developing a site at Rainton Bridge, which was sold to npower
Npower (UK)
RWE Npower plc is a UK-based electricity and gas supply generation company, formerly known as Innogy plc. As Innogy plc it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
.
The 2000s tower
In 2004 the bank unveiled its plans for a new building to replace the ageing 1960s tower. The planning application was submitted to Newcastle City Council by Red Box Design GroupRed Box Design Group
Redboxdesign group is a design company which specialises in architecture and Interior design, as well as new media based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, working both nationally and internationally.-History:...
on 13 September 2004, and the decision to grant the application was made on 17 January 2006. The branch of the bank located in the original tower building was closed on 16 July 2005, to allow for the demolition.
In early 2006 the 1960s tower building was demolished by Thompsons of Prudhoe, and building work began on its replacement building in June 2006. Building the new tower was the final phase of the redevelopment of the Gosforth site. The design for this new tower was similar to the sandstone and glass buildings built in the early 2000s. The Red Box Design Group has been involved with the development of all of the currently standing buildings for the bank.
The new 10-storey building cost £35 million. Taylor Woodrow
Taylor Woodrow
Taylor Woodrow was one of the largest British housebuilding and general construction companies. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but merged with rival George Wimpey to create Taylor Wimpey on 3 July 2007.-Early years:Frank Taylor was...
was the main contractor, and companies such as Desco
DESCO
DESCO is an underwater diving equipment maker which was first organized in 1937 in Wisconsin in the USA as Diving Equipment and Salvage Co.It was founded by:-...
and Red Box Architecture were involved with the design and construction. The building has been designed to achieve an "Excellent" BREEAM
BREEAM
BRE Environmental Assessment Method is a voluntary measurement rating for green buildings that was established in the UK by the Building Research Establishment . Since its inception it has since grown in scope and geographically, being exported in various guises across the globe...
rating. The tower has a semi circular floor plate containing flexible open plan space and external roof top hospitality facilities.
After the bank's nationalisation
In September 2007 Northern Rock received emergency liquidity support from the Bank of EnglandBank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
, due to problems stemming from the subprime mortgage crisis
Subprime mortgage crisis
The U.S. subprime mortgage crisis was one of the first indicators of the late-2000s financial crisis, characterized by a rise in subprime mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures, and the resulting decline of securities backed by said mortgages....
. After the press reported the news, a bank run
Bank run
A bank run occurs when a large number of bank customers withdraw their deposits because they believe the bank is, or might become, insolvent...
commenced, where scared customers began to pull their money out of the bank. Private bids for the bank failed, and eventually in February 2008, the bank was nationalised
Nationalisation of Northern Rock
In 2008 the Northern Rock bank was nationalised by the British Government, due to financial problems caused by the subprime mortgage crisis...
. At the time of its nationalisation, the bank was mid-way through construction of the 10-storey tower that would provide a focus for the whole site.
The new tower block, simply known as The Tower, was completed in November 2008, originally intended to create 1500 jobs, and act as the main entrance and focal point of the company headquarters.
This led to the company deciding to downsize, including job cubs and deciding to put this new tower building up for let or sale, as the additional space has become surplus to requirements. The site at Rainton Bridge is now also to be sold or let to a third party.
The Tower which had a Restaurant area on the ground floor and coffee shop facilities on first floor, had a total lettable area of 120,023sq ft. Gavin Black & Partners and GVA Lamb & Edge were appointed as the joint sole agents for the property. At November 2009 the lease for the building stood at £2.25 million a year.
Sale to the council and lease to Eaga
Newcastle City CouncilNewcastle City Council
Newcastle City Council is the local government authority for Newcastle upon Tyne, a city in Tyne and Wear, England. The council consists of 78 councillors, three for each of the city's 26 wards...
proposed to spend £22 million purchasing the building, and will let it out to another firm, a company set up by the council with support services firm Eaga
Eaga
Eaga plc was a British company supplying energy efficiency products. It was headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne. In April 2011 it was acquired by Carillion.- History :...
, on a 25 year lease. A maturity loan over 40 years from the Public Works Loan Board with a predicted interest rate of less than 4.5% will be taken out by the council. The council expect to make money from leasing the building, in excess of the amount that they paid for it. One floor of the building will be sub-let back to the council by Eaga.
However in May 2009, the plans of the Liberal Democrat Council
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
to buy the Tower were thrown into doubt. This was due to Northern Rock deciding to defer their decision to sell the building, as well as opposition from the local Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
. On 12 May The Journal
The Journal (newspaper)
The Journal is a daily newspaper produced in Newcastle upon Tyne. Published by ncjMedia, , The Journal is produced every weekday and Saturday morning and is complemented by its sister publications the Evening Chronicle and the Sunday Sun.The newspaper mainly has a middle-class and professional...
newspaper reported that the Northern Rock board had approved the deal, that the Labour opposition had been quelled. This was after a report refuting Labour's claims was put before two scrutiny panels, and that a motion to send the decision back for further discussions was defeated by seven votes to six, at the Civic Centre.
In October 2009 the council completed their purchase of the Tower, and renamed it as Partnership House. From January 2010 there will be more than 1000 workers in the offices for "Real Partnership" - a partnership between the City Council and Eaga. It was officially opened by Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
.
The building has the following approximate net lettable floor areas:
| Level | M2 |
|---|---|
| 9 | 598 |
| 8 | 0 |
| 7 | 1,380 |
| 6 | 1,380 |
| 5 | 1,380 |
| 4 | 1,380 |
| 3 | 1,380 |
| 2 | 1,356 |
| 1 | 1,150 |
| 0 | 1,146 |
| Total | 11,150 |
External links
Real PartnershipNorthern Rock and Regent Centre
- Regent Centre
- Northern Rock and NRAM
- Photograph of Northern Rock Building, 1969 at Newcastle libraries service
- Northern Rock plc Head Office, 2000 photo 1, photo 2, photo 3 at Newscast