WELCOME
STACK began in Newcastle in 2018 with a row of shipping containers on a vacant plot. Eight years later it operates five venues across four locations, with further schemes planned in other parts of the country.
Elsewhere this week, Nissan is putting £170m into a fourth model at Sunderland. The North East already has commercial or research capability in three of the four priorities in Britain’s new £7.8bn space strategy. And Invest Newcastle is preparing to take a proposed Tyne development zone and some of the city-region’s biggest projects to international investors at MIPIM.
THE LEAD
How STACK is turning a temporary Newcastle concept into a national regeneration business
STACK's first site occupied a vacant plot on Newcastle's Pilgrim Street in 2018, built from shipping containers while the land waited for a new HM Revenue and Customs office.
Eight years on, the company operates five venues across four locations: two in Newcastle, plus Seaburn, Lincoln and Middlesbrough. Further schemes are under way or proposed in Northampton, Bishop Auckland and Wigan.
STACK now offers councils and landlords a way to bring large vacant buildings back into use as food, drink and entertainment venues. Public grants and long-term leases form part of the model, while the company takes on the commercial role of filling and operating each venue.
If those schemes go ahead, STACK will have grown from a temporary Newcastle site into a multi-city property and leisure business.
THE NUMBER
£170m
Nissan will spend £170m to build the Kicks e‑POWER hybrid crossover at its Sunderland plant, giving the site a fourth current model. It is a direct investment in new production at the UK's largest car manufacturing site and another addition to Sunderland's electrified vehicle mix.
CHART OF THE WEEK
The North East's space role
The UK government has published a new space strategy backed by £7.8bn of funding to 2030. It sets four priorities, and the North East has commercial or research capability in three of them, from satellite communications and space tracking to the servicing and building of spacecraft. The chart sets those capabilities alongside the funding attached to each priority.
THE WEEK
North East mayors face choice over overnight visitor levy
The Government's proposed overnight visitor levy would allow English mayors to add a charge to paid accommodation and use the money to support local visitor economies.
Kim McGuinness supports the principle and says the revenue could fund events and visitor attractions, while Ben Houchen says he will not use the power in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool. The Government has not set a North East rate or start date, and local consultation is still required before the power can be used.
National Wealth Fund adds North East authority to strategic partnership programme
The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority has joined the National Wealth Fund’s strategic-partnership programme, giving it access to investment specialists who will help develop regeneration and transport projects.
Newcastle to pitch proposed Tyne development zone to international investors
Invest Newcastle is heading to the international property event MIPIM in Cannes in March to pitch a proposed Mayoral Development Zone along the River Tyne. The organisation will also promote Forth Yards, Gateshead Quays, the Pilgrim Street redevelopment, the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre and Quayside Music Studios to international investors.
IN THE CALENDAR
Thursday 17 September: The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee is due to publish its latest interest-rate decision at noon. The result will set the context for borrowing costs facing property, retail and investment across the region.
Monday 28 September: Consultation on the North East Bus Franchising Scheme closes at 9am. Responses will feed into the decision on whether to introduce bus franchising across the region.
Wednesday 30 September: Greggs publishes its third-quarter trading update. The release will give a fresh read on trading at the Newcastle-headquartered retailer.
MORE FROM REVIEW NORTH
The North East is looking for its next voice of business
The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority is recruiting a new chair for its Business Advisory Council after John McCabe announced he will step down when his two-year term ends in January 2027. The chair will sit as a non-voting business representative on the Mayor's Cabinet and provide business input to the authority's regional economic programme. Read more
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens closes as £13.6m redevelopment moves towards contractor appointment
Sunderland's £13.6m project covers more than galleries. It includes a new entrance linking the venue to Mowbray Park, improvements to the Winter Gardens and public realm and a new community learning facility. The building has now closed, with Bellrock Consulting moving towards main contractor appointment ahead of a planned December 2028 reopening. Read more
OnPath Energy reports £22.7m operating profit as Sunderland developer targets £1bn investment
OnPath Energy reported an operating profit of £22.7m for the 12 months to December 2025 as it set out an ambition to invest more than £1bn in UK clean-energy projects by 2030. The Sunderland-headquartered developer expects to add 73MW through Mill Rig and Barnsdale, with Common Farm Solar Park to follow. Read more
FROM AROUND THE NORTH EAST
North East Chamber sets out its Budget demands
The Chamber’s six priorities include business rates reform, cheaper industrial energy, skills funding and infrastructure. The submission sets out what the region’s business lobby wants from the 28 October Budget. Read more
Wander Films secures minority investment from S4C
The North East-founded content studio says S4C Digital Media Ltd, the Welsh broadcaster's commercial investment arm, has taken a minority stake to support original intellectual property and expansion across content marketing, branded entertainment, digital content and television. The value of the investment has not been disclosed. Read more
Michelle Percy on the North East's places, capital and future
Episode 54 of Alison Dunn's This Is the North podcast features Develop North CEO Michelle Percy discussing how buildings, public space and community infrastructure shape health, wealth and access to opportunity. She also makes the case for long-term regional investment and stronger devolution, linking physical regeneration to the wider North East economy. Read more
Until next week,
Stephen