Sunderland-based housebuilder Avant Homes North East says it has submitted an outline planning application for up to 320 homes on the site of Sage’s former headquarters at Newcastle Great Park.

The proposed 24-acre Skyline Quarter development would require the demolition of the vacant 230,000 sq ft office between North Kenton and Hazlerigg. It would include two to five bedroom semi-detached and detached houses, alongside one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Avant proposes that at least three-quarters of the development would consist of family homes. Fifteen per cent of the properties would be designated as affordable housing.

The scheme would be arranged around a central public space and a radial park, with green and recreational areas extending through the development. Walking and cycling routes would connect it with existing bus stops, rights of way, schools and facilities elsewhere in Newcastle Great Park.

Sage moved its Newcastle workforce into the North Park building in 2004, making the company one of the first large office occupiers at Great Park. The site served as its global headquarters and brought staff previously spread across several Newcastle offices into one building.

The software group announced in 2019 that it would relocate to Cobalt Business Park in North Tyneside as part of a £40mn investment in a new hub. Sage said North Park’s design was inefficient, with 40 per cent of its space given over to non-office uses, while the building required substantial investment in its mechanical and electrical systems.

Sage put the Great Park property on the market in March 2021 and completed its move to Cobalt later that year. The former headquarters has remained vacant since then.

Avant Homes North East regional managing director Richard Hosie said Skyline Quarter’s central space and radial layout took their cues from the design of the former Sage complex.

Newcastle City Council ruled in July that the proposed development would not require an environmental impact assessment. If outline permission is granted, Avant would need further approval for the scheme’s detailed layout, appearance, scale and landscaping before construction could begin.