Plans Submitted for 79-Home Orchard Yard Neighbourhood in Newcastle’s Stephenson Quarter
Plans have been submitted for Orchard Yard, a new residential neighbourhood that will deliver 79 sustainable homes as part of the wider Founders Place regeneration in Newcastle’s historic Stephenson Quarter.
Developer igloo, working in partnership with Newcastle City Council through Founders Place LLP, has submitted a full planning application and Listed Building Consent for the scheme, which is located next to Newcastle Central Station on land forming part of the former Stephenson Works.
Once home to the Stephenson Engineering Manufactory, the Orchard Yard site has seen a range of industrial uses over time before falling into disrepair, leaving a number of historic buildings, including the Machine Shop and Smith’s Shop, in a derelict and inaccessible condition.
Designed by Newcastle-based architects FaulknerBrowns, Orchard Yard will provide a mix of apartments, duplexes and family homes designed to support a long-term, sustainable city centre community. The plans also include 45 square metres of small-scale commercial space at ground-floor level.
Orchard Yard forms part of the wider Founders Place regeneration in Stephenson Quarter, helping bring a long-derelict part of the city back into use through the delivery of new homes, improved public spaces and the restoration of historic structures.
Green spaces are integrated throughout the proposals, including planted streets and shared gardens, alongside features designed to manage rainfall and support biodiversity. The plans also seek to re-establish historic routes through the site, with South Street, Orchard Street and Sussex Street brought back into use to improve connectivity through the area and strengthen links with Newcastle Central Station and the wider city centre.
The planning submission follows a programme of public consultation in April, where local people had the opportunity to review the proposals and provide feedback ahead of the application being finalised.
Insiyah Khushnood, development director at igloo, said: “Orchard Yard is a really special opportunity to bring new life back to a long-neglected part of Newcastle and create a neighbourhood that is rooted in the site’s remarkable history.
“We want this to become a place where people genuinely want to live and spend time, with new homes, green spaces and restored historic streets helping reconnect this part of Stephenson Quarter with the wider city.
“Submitting the planning application is an important milestone for the project and another step forward for the wider Founders Place vision, where momentum is continuing to build across the site through the restoration of heritage buildings and the creation of new places for people and businesses.”
Momentum continues to build across the wider Founders Place development, following the successful restoration of the nearby Pattern Shop, which officially opened in 2024 and is now home to Atom Bank and its workforce of around 600 people. Alongside plans progressing for Orchard Yard, work is also advancing to explore the long-term future of the historic Coppersmiths Shop and proposals for One Founders Place, helping bring new life back to this important part of Newcastle’s Stephenson Quarter.
Igloo has also played a key role in delivering new homes and communities across Newcastle, including The Malings and Lower Steenbergs Yard in Ouseburn, transforming former post-industrial land into thriving residential neighbourhoods.
Image: Orchard Yard CGI (C) FaulknerBrowns
