Newcastle Labour is bringing residents, businesses, community organisations and industry experts together to help shape an ambitious ten-year vision for Newcastle’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Labour-led council is developing a long-term plan designed not simply to rebuild Newcastle’s economy following the pandemic, but to accelerate the city’s ambitions for a fairer, greener and more prosperous future.
The ten-year vision will set out how Newcastle can support the wellbeing of residents and communities, create jobs, drive innovation and continue investing in both the city centre and neighbourhoods.
It will also examine the infrastructure Newcastle will need for the future, including transport and digital connectivity.
Labour wants the recovery to be felt across the whole city, ensuring investment and new economic opportunities are not confined to particular sectors or the city centre.
The council will work with Newcastle’s City Futures Board and a wide range of partners to develop the plans, bringing together the public, private, voluntary and community sectors.
Residents will also be given opportunities to contribute to the vision, helping ensure Newcastle’s recovery reflects the priorities and experiences of people living in communities across the city.
The work will build on lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the importance of strong communities, tackling inequality and creating a more resilient local economy.
Newcastle’s commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 will be at the heart of the plan, with Labour seeking to ensure economic recovery also accelerates the transition towards a greener city and creates opportunities for new low-carbon jobs.
Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “The last 12 months have been difficult for everyone but with the vaccination programme well underway, we must start to look to the future with optimism.
“We must ensure that recovery from the pandemic is fair, green and inclusive. That means creating opportunities for everyone, tackling the inequalities that Covid has exposed and making sure the whole city benefits from the investment and jobs we want to attract.
“Our ambition is to work with people and organisations across Newcastle to develop a shared vision for the next decade and make sure our city emerges from this crisis stronger, greener and more resilient.”
The ten-year vision will help provide a framework for Newcastle’s recovery and future development, linking immediate action following the pandemic with Labour’s longer-term ambitions for jobs, neighbourhoods, infrastructure, tackling inequality and achieving Net Zero.