Newcastle United Foundation has recently opened a world-class community hub, NUCASTLE, on the site of the former Murray House. This prestigious development 5 minutes walk away from St James’ Park includes fitness, dance and cycle studios, a sports hall, classrooms, and a rooftop 4G football pitch. The centre was opened by Shola Ameobi, poignantly as a child a user of the Murray House Community Centre that had fallen into disrepair.
TEP provided a range of support over the 5 year development. Initially arboricultural and ecological surveys were undertaken to support the planning application, with amendments being made to accommodate changes in the design proposals. Prior to the demolition of Murray House a bat survey was undertaken that showed the building had no roosts.
Prior to the construction of NUCASTLE an Arboricultural Method Statement was prepared. This was to instruct tree protection measures and to detail construction methods where works impinged within root protection areas so that the long term viability of trees was not affected, especially the specification of a permeable parking surface constructed without excavation into root bearing soils of the Root Protection Area. TEP subsequently monitored the installation of the parking surface and undertook periodic ad hoc inspections of the tree protection during the construction process.
