Plans for £500m hub's first building withdrawn

The first building expected to be built at a new £500m health-focused "neighbourhood" has had its planning application withdrawn.

The Digitally Enabled Hub for Care Everywhere (DigECarE) was set stand at the gateway of Newcastle University's new Health Innovation Neighbourhood (HIN) on Westgate Road.

The development is currently being built on the former General Hospital site and will contain research labs, education spaces and 1,250 homes.

Newcastle University said it was "continuing to work on ideas of the DigECare project" but was "exploring different funding options".

The hub had been designed for research into how digital technology could be used to improve care and would also have contained community facilities such as a cafe and "spaces for digital learning".

The £45m building was scheduled to be completed by 2026, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It is currently unclear whether the plans for the building have been cancelled or if revised designs will be submitted in the future.

A Newcastle University spokesperson said: "We are making good progress on the Health Innovation Neighbourhood (HIN), with demolition for phase 1 of the site to be completed by autumn this year.

"We continue to work on the ideas of the DigECare project and are exploring different funding options so that it can be delivered with our partners to ensure the long-term success of HIN to promote longer, healthier lives."

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