Newcastle’s iconic Byker Estate nominated for award

The iconic Byker Estate in Newcastle  has been shortlisted for a prestigious award, which recognizes improved urban environments.

The Grade II listed estate is one of three finalists shortlisted for the Great Neighbourhood Award in the Academy of Urbanism Awards 2018.

The estate is the only area in the North East to be shortlisted in this year’s awards, across the five categories.

It has been managed by Byker Community Trust (BCT) housing association since 2012 and has made significant improvements during this time.

To date, the BCT has invested £28.5m on the estate and has won a number of awards for its work with tenants.

‘To make the shortlist for these prestigious awards is a great achievement, not just for Byker Community Trust and the Estate, but also for the city of Newcastle and the North East too,’ said BCT chief executive, Jill Haley.

‘Byker is becoming a popular place to live and we have many exciting projects planned for the future to continue our commitment to investing in the Estate and improving the area for our residents and local community,’ she added.

‘The Byker Estate is steeped in history which we are keen to preserve and celebrate, it’s great to see that this has been recognised by such a prestigious establishment and we are thoroughly looking forward to the final.’

Newcastle council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, Nick Kemp said: ‘In a year when the Academy of Urbanism is focusing on places that have been built or rebuilt since 1945 to transform themselves into sustainable communities, it’s fantastic that the hard work and commitment of all those involved in the revitalisation of Byker is being recognised.

‘Being one of the 10 neighbourhoods shortlisted was an accomplishment in itself, but to have beaten off competition from cities such as Glasgow, Bristol and Birmingham to be one of just three finalists is an outstanding achievement that builds on Newcastle’s previous success in these prestigious awards.’

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 8 November at the offices of U+I in London.