This site was produced by: LOCAL AUTHORITY PUBLISHING
Publishers for local authorities throughout Great Britain. View more Official Guides at www.officialguides.co.uk

Newcastle is a borough proud of its rich history - but with a clear vision of where its future lies.

Employment opportunities at the cutting edge of science, a huge Government driven renewal and regeneration programme, substantial investment in sport, leisure and entertainment are all helping to enhance the area’s reputation as an excellent place to live, work and visit.

Modern shopping facilities in surroundings that have retained their market town character are attractive for residents and visitors alike.

And there are quality restaurants, café bars, an award-winning theatre-in-the-round and cinema to ensure plenty to occupy leisure time.

Newcastle Borough is an area undergoing transformation.

The slowdown of the 1980s and 1990s acted as a warning about the dangers of over reliance for employment on manufacturing and traditional industries such as mining, which has now disappeared from the Borough.

Having recognised this vulnerability, the Borough Council has been keen to promote the expansion of Keele University and its Science and Business Park.

Spin out businesses from Keele University research activities, and other high technology inward investors, can be housed in the Innovation Centres on the Science Park, two of which are devoted specifically to medical technology.

Further expansion is already underway to maintain the momentum of attracting more high-tech business and high skills employment to the area in the medical, healthcare and knowledge-based sectors.

Keele’s £25 million medical school opened in 2003 and a Clinical Education Centre in 2005 at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire – just south of Newcastle town centre.

Over 650 new doctors are being trained at Keele with half of them having decided to remain in North Staffordshire.

A recent KPMG study identified the area as the UK’s most cost effective location for med-tech business and healthcare, the fastest growing sector in North Staffordshire.

Investment by Renew North Staffordshire and its partners – which includes Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council - will support the North Staffordshire Integrated Economic Development Strategy which aims to create 8,000 jobs by 2016 and 18,000 by 2021.

Renew – the local partnership responsible for delivering the Government’s housing market renewal pathfinder fund – is playing a major part in regeneration of the area’s neighbourhoods and economy.

Funding from the Government is being matched during 2006-08 by millions of pounds from other public sources and from private business. The investment will revitalise communities in Newcastle Borough and elsewhere in North Staffordshire by creating a much better choice of housing and by making neighbourhoods greener, safer and more desirable.

This will improve quality of life for existing residents and attract new people to a successful and confident region.

The transformation taking place is being mirrored in other facets of the Borough’s life.

Greening for Growth projects have are leading to improvements at popular recreation areas. Newcastle’s Lyme Valley has already benefited from a transformation with similar improvements being undertaken at Bathpool Park in Kidsgrove.

Detailed proposals have been unveiled for a state-of-the-art Sports Village in the heart of Newcastle. This £17 million project involves key partners such as the Borough Council, Newcastle College and Staffordshire County Council working together to provide a complex which will include a swimming pool with learner pool; sports hall; health and fitness suite; dance studio; grass pitches; an all-weather pitch; cycleways and walkways; café and changing areas.

Wherever you look, transformation is taking place to make Newcastle Borough a better place to live, work, visit and do business.