Plans for new £40m mega-project in £250m boost to UK town

The former home of Newcastle Brown Ale production could be transformed into a £40m multi-storey golf and entertainment complex. Plans have been lodged to convert the former Federation Brewery site in Gateshead into a three-storey leisure facility in the lastest in a series of investment projects in the town.

Topgolf UK has a vision to build 102 gold hitting bays across all the levels alongside event spaces, a bar and restaurant, rooftop terrace, and lounge areas. Newcastle Brown Ale, or Newkie Brown, has been brewed in the north east of England since the 1920s and has been a sponsor for the kit of the Pemier League side, Newcastle United.

The iconic Newcastle Brown Ale was produced on the site from 2005 until 2010 when Heineken closed Dunston Brewery and moved its operations to Yorkshire. The site was then demolished in 2013.

ChronicleLive reports Topgolf UK said the development would be a £40m investment in the area, creating 300 construction jobs and up to 400 roles once the leisure attraction is up and running. Early financial predictions claim the Lancaster Road project would also bring in around £150m-250m over a 10-year period.

It is estimated the entertainment complex, close to the Metrocentre, would attract up to 450,000 visitors per year, with plans to install 400 parking spaces to cater for customers.

Gateshead Council's assessment states that while the plans do not adhere to a draft area plan on account of reducing future home developments and open space, the economic and regeneration benefits outweigh those concerns.

The report concludes: "The site's location - immediately adjacent to Metrocentre and bounded by major highways - makes it uniquely suited to a large-scale leisure use, without direct conflict with existing residential areas. While the proposal limits some elements of the AAP's [Area Action Plan} vision, it also accelerates delivery, raises the area's profile, and introduces anchor activity to support further investment."

Plans to create a leisure venue on the site were announced in 2022 after the Metrocentre Partnership bought the land. The deal came about three years after the former owners Intu announced it was looking at redeveloping the location.