New marina providing water sports and stunning new 'vista' planned for South Shields riverside

Plans for the ‘pontoon-based marina’ at the former Brigham and Cowan Dock 4 entrance, off Long Row, have been submitted to South Tyneside Council.

The scheme includes installing floating pontoon platforms on the south side of the Tyne, providing access and mooring facilities for small boats.

Developers hope the facilities will also be used by the community, encouraging people in the borough to take part in water-based sports.

They say there is no facility of this kind in South Tyneside, though a similar scheme is being developed at the Smiths Dock site on the opposite side of the river.

“It has long been appreciated by communities that provision of marina facilities provides more to the local community than just the boating use itself,” developers said in a planning statement.

“It helps to breathe a positive/aesthetic nautical use back onto the riverbanks and provides a great vista for both locals and visitors.

“There are many studies that show marina infrastructure of any kind will have [a] significant positive impact on the general townscape and local economy.”

According to planning documents, the new pontoon platforms in South Shields could open up opportunities for local groups such as the Hebburn and South Shields Sea Cadets, or for the storage/ display of historic vessels.

In addition, they could be used by local rowing clubs, for training uses and by other organisations such as the Riverside Project Group.

In a statement, the applicant responded to several objections which raised questions about the scheme and its potential impact.

This ranged from environmental concerns, noise nuisance and loss of amenity to traffic and accessibility.

According to planning documents, the pontoons would be designed to minimise noise and would only generate demand for an extra five to eight parking spaces at peak times.

The applicant statement said that marina developments were considered as an “enhancement of residential settings, improving the general amenity and desirability of an area.”

It added: “It is further submitted that the River Tyne is a commercially active river with significant commercial traffic amounting to many thousands of tons of cargo ships [supporting] vessels and passenger ferries traversing the river each day and night and this undoubtedly results in a background noise level that local residents become accustomed to and accept as part of the ambience of living on a commercial riverside setting.

“The introduction of this small marina facility on the South side will have little to negligible impact on the traffic.”

For more information on the plans, visit the council’s ‘planning portal’ and search reference ST/0353/20/FUL

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.