Project Genesis

Giving a sense of security to the public and providing both a deterrent effect and assistance with the resolution of criminal activity. This service is paid for and delivered by the Trust through it’s not for profit Management Company, without any public subsidy.

The network cover has recently been extended with the assistance of grant money to include part of Middle Street following public safety concerns.

Developments on the site have contributed to the cost of improving the cycle network within Genesis and the links to the town centre and Blackhill/Consett Park encouraging local and users from further afield to take part in exercise. Once the improvements have been made the Trust then takes over management and maintenance responsibility.

This has been achieved through heritage information and interpretative boards, Fawcett Park now includes circular Corten steel interpretation panels, depicting scenes from the former steelworks, along with a large hook recovered during the remediation works, together with an interpretation panel, all of which have been of particular interest to both locals and visitors.

Such as the ‘hoppers’ in the Urban Park, and Trucks at Lydgetts Lane, and on Genesis way. Local heritage assets that have been retained by the Trust helping local people and visitors understand our industrial heritage.

The current housing site (Regents 5) is nearing completion and a final phase of housing (Regents 6) is currently subject to a planning appeal.

To date the development has delivered 30 affordable bungalows for sale, and a further 30 affordable for rent bungalows for Durham Aged Miners Homes Association.

The final phase will deliver a further 7 affordable homes. Also 4 small retail units have been delivered to provide local services for the community and visitors.

In total approx. 2,000 houses have been delivered on the Genesis site, including 100 affordable bungalows, supported housing for young people and 100 affordable houses.

The Regents Park scheme is almost complete and will have delivered 348 market houses, 1 affordable home and 60 affordable bungalows, 409 units in total. Additionally the construction of the 4 commercial units, a car park and public realm. All 4 units are now let.

The original planning permission for Regents Park was granted for 480 units, but only 409 have/will be delivered. As Trustees are aware PGL consequently submitted a further planning application for land to the north of the site (Regents 6) to deliver the balance of 71 units with 7 units (10%) being affordable.

Unfortunately, the planning application was refused by the planning committee in July 2024.

Following the refusal of the planning application, PGL appealed the decision.

Unfortunately the Appeal hearing was not completed due to the actions of the appointed inspector. PGL decided to seek the recusal of the inspector after the inspection fell apart, and requested a new inspector and appeal. With the assistance of DCC a new inspection was arranged but as reported at your previous meeting discussions in parallel with DCC planners resulted in a decision to revise our planning application for ‘Regents 6’ and resubmit a new revised application for the site.

Discussions on the revised plan with DCC planners have gone well to date and we would expect to submit the new application at the end of March. Public consultation will be completed before submission and I will circulate this to Trustees in the near future.

The Trust and PGL have jointly delivered 9 workshop and office units at Hownsgill Industrial Park, with a further 4 to be completed.

This was a joint initiative by Genesis to bolster employment opportunities in the area.

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Bessemer Court – The project has, as Trustees are aware, been part funded by grant allocation through the NE LEP (now Combined Authority). The final 4 units included in the grant allocation agreement have now been completed. All units are now let.

DCC Inward Investment team and Business Development Team have also been engaged with to look at further promotional opportunities for the site.

PGL has delivered a 10,000 square foot warehouse and distribution facility (completed in 2018) for JT Dove which has now been extended, and a new transport depot for Go Ahead Northern on the estate helping to sustain local bus services.

Solar Farm

As previously reported the first phase of the installation (associated with the Go-Ahead depot development) has been completed.
Several investor/operator organisations remain interested in progressing the solar farm and we have  discussed detailed proposals with a number of potential investors, to include the development of further projects on Hownsgill supported by the renewable power. As yet none of these opportunities have come to fruition, but the site continues to attract interest and subject to Derwent View delivering both a new hospital and older person housing unit it should gain further traction in the coming year.

Marketing of this site continues, several operators have expressed interest in the site but as, yet negotiations have not produced any agreement. The site has an ‘extant’ planning permission for a single-storey unit.

The Trust and PGL successfully petitioned the council during the Durham Plan consultation process and the Genesis masterplan is now a recognised feature of the Durham Plan, Genesis has also contributed to the work of the Derwent Valley AAP to establish a ‘Consett Destination Plan’.

This was setup in 2017 has been very active delivering small grants to over 100 local charitable and not for profit community based organisations.

This Fund pays grants of up to £500 to non-profit making community groups in Derwentside towards activities meeting the Trust’s objectives.

To apply for a Small Grant from PGT please download and complete this application form and then send that to Virginia Aken on v.aken@btinternet.com

Project Genesis has also acquired three areas of woodland (approx.. 50 acres) between Pemberton Road and the Derwent river, and The Grove and Pemberton Road which will now be retained and managed to ensure that it is available for public access.

One of these areas also includes the former Steelworks Pump House, a heritage asset which we intend to repair and retain for future generations.

This also enabled the delivery of the Heritage Trail and establishment of the ‘Visit Consett’ website and Social Media platforms.

The Trail was completed in March of 2020.

The ‘Visit Consett’ website is now public, and the Trust has received significant public support and congratulations via website and social media comment.

After some time in negotiation DCC finally accepted their responsibility for the repairs to a culvert running under Pemberton Road. Surcharging of the culvert in wet weather conditions had led to damage to the trail and its temporary closure. Works have now been completed by the council and are being monitored to make sure they have been effective, assuming this to be the case repair works to the damaged area of the trail will be completed during the year.
Due to the Trails success, we are also now looking at extending the footpath network and further ecological improvements in the area. This would be dependent on accessing external grant and would hopefully include the provision of a footpath on Pemberton Road, further off-road footpaths, improvements to the Pump House, drainage improvements and ecological enhancements. Work on the strategy is underway with a view to bidding for funds when appropriate grant opportunities come available.

The Trust established a ‘Visit Consett’ website which launched in early 2020, and complimented by an active Social Media presence.

It was designed to encourage the community and visitors to enjoy the leisure and recreational amenities either developed by Genesis or currently available in and around the area.

The website is well used and receives significant community interaction.

2021 saw the establishment of the first memorial to steelworkers who lost their lives whilst working at the steelworks. 

The memorial also serves to remember the heroes who lost their lives in the ‘gas disaster’ at the works in 1950.

The Trust has also now satisfied its objective of delivering a ‘Heritage Centre’ in the town, having purchased a former St John’s ambulance station building, which is now being operated by a local heritage society.

The Trust also continues to maintain and improve amenity land which has resulted from, or is part of developments that have taken place on the Genesis site. This includes grass cutting, hedge and tree Maintenace, shrub beds and footpaths.

The Derwent View site was chosen by the NHS as the best available site in Consett for the replacement of Shotley Bridge Hospital in 2019. Project Genesis gained planning permission for the New Hospital and although it has taken some time, due to changes in Government and funding issues, we are now starting to prepare the site for building and hope to see the hospital completed by the NHS by 2029.

Project Genesis will be enabling the site by completing the remediation of the land, stabilising it by grouting and compaction, and providing a junction to access the site along with the necessary services and utilities connections. This work will take about 12 months to complete, following which the site will be handed over to the Hospital Trust to commence the build.

To help the Trust meet it’s timeline for the new hospital Genesis has commenced the work to establish the site in advance of contracts being agreed with the Hospital Trust, taking a significant financial risk to make sure that the area will benefit from a new hospital. Without this commitment from Genesis it is unlikely that the hospital could be built.

Commercial terms with Farm Foods for a Retail Store and associated car parking on Ponds Court were agreed some time ago and a planning application submitted in 2024.

A start on site was delayed due to the administrative process associated with the identification of an off-site Bio-diversity Net Gain area and it’s registration on the national data base.

Remediation works have now been completed, and we expect a start on site with the build works in the near future.

Allotments to serve the Regents Park housing development have now been constructed and are being utilised by local residents.

The new retail units at Regents Park are now completed with all of the 4 properties now let.

The Genesis Project has also been responsible for the delivery of other retail and service developments in Consett.

These included the redevelopment of the Consett bus station, and development of the retail area including Iceland and Argos, and the development of Weatherspoons on the Front street.

Other retail delivery has included the Tesco development on Genesis Way, Starbucks, The Salvation Army retail store, Frank’s Carpets and services such as the Derwentside College building.

A planning application was submitted for this development of 130 units (10% of which will be affordable and we are in discussion with Karbon Homes for their delivery) over 4 years ago.

We have been in discussion with DCC planners for over a number of years and had hoped that the planning application would have been determined last year. This has not been achieved and we still await a decision by DCC on the application.