Newcastle upon Tyne is a city with an incredible architectural history, much of which can still be seen today. The combination of old and new structures coalesce to create a wonderfully diverse and internationally recognisable cityscape.

However, one or two hundred years on, there is an unfortunate downside to some of these beautiful historic buildings, as our team have discovered in recent months.

Tyneside Developments has specialised in the renovation of listed and heritage buildings since the beginning, and we had to draw on all our knowledge and experience to help our latest Client deal with some complex issues.

Our Client approached us to ask for advice to safely resolve a precarious situation in their Grade 2 listed property in the city centre.

This four-storey terrace in Nun Street had been largely empty for decades, with two commercial units on the ground floor the only occupied spaces.

The upper floors had fallen into significant disrepair, with severe deterioration caused by years of water ingress from the ancient roof.

Rotten timber joists on every level had made the upper floors unstable, made worse by the addition of a layer of concrete on the fourth floor – installed prior to our Client’s ownership of the property.

This concrete floor had cracked and dropped by up to 75mm in places, leaving it in an extremely hazardous position.

Our expert team got straight on the case, securing the building with structural scaffolding and extensive emergency propping, allowing the businesses on the ground floor to continue operating safely and protecting the adjacent properties as well.

We developed a phased plan for the work, completing every stage in close consultation with our structural engineers and Newcastle City Council to ensure the best and safest outcome for everyone.

We removed the unsafe concrete floor, repaired the roof and rotten windows to make the building watertight and stabilised the other floors, clearing the fallen debris. Our Client now has a safe and secure building, protected from the elements and ready for further redevelopment.

Our Client’s situation is far from unique, Newcastle upon Tyne is home to a higher than average proportion of listed buildings – a testament to its history of visionary architects and engineers.

Investment and redevelopment in the North East in the past few decades has ensured that many of these buildings are well-maintained and kept in continual use. However, many others have fallen into disuse due to the cost and complexity of bringing them up to current standards.

While these buildings can be hard to modernise due to the restrictions imposed by their listed status, leaving them vacant only leads to the risk of further disrepair and dilapidation.

At Tyneside, we feel strongly that these historic buildings deserve both protection and sensitive restoration – the best way to preserve these properties for future generations is to make them useful again – whether that’s as homes, offices or social spaces.

Listed buildings may require more work, time and money to renovate, but with a bit of care and a fresh perspective, they also have enormous potential to give back even more – both in terms of the return on a financial investment, and the cultural impact of bringing a vital piece of our region’s history back into the community.

If you think your listed property may be in need of expert assistance, get in touch with the Tyneside Developments team today to find out how we can help. Email us at info@tynesidedevelopments.com or call our office on 0191 315 3700.