FIRST LOOK: ZANZIBAR SET FOR A NEW CHAPTER AS SITE PREP GETS UNDERWAY

Capital&Centric has unveiled a first look at how the former Zanzibar nightclub in Newcastle-under-Lyme is set to be transformed, as site preparation for its next chapter gets underway.

Sitting at the gateway to the town centre, on the junction of Marsh Parade and Hassell Street, the site is being reimagined into a new neighbourhood.

It’s a big shift for a site that’s been part of the town’s story for years. With 62 affordable homes, leafy landscaping and a layout designed to feel closely connected to the surrounding town, the plans will create a welcoming new community. Improved pedestrian access, parking and public space will help create a place that feels part of the wider high street, not just somewhere to live.

Being brought forward in partnership with Aspire Housing, every home will be affordable – helping to meet local demand while giving a well-known brownfield site a fresh start.

Martin Crews, Development Director at Capital&Centric, said:

“Zanzibar is one of those sites that lots of locals will have a connection to. It’s a really prominent gateway into the town centre but has long been waiting for its next chapter. We’re creating genuinely affordable homes with Aspire in a brilliant central location, helping to create a new community while supporting the wider regeneration of Newcastle-under-Lyme.”

Dan Gray, Executive Director of Place at Aspire Housing, said:

“We are exceptionally proud to begin work on the Zanzibar site, a development with such a rich history and connection for us and our local community.

“This flagship development will provide an additional 63 homes at a key gateway into Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre, giving future generations the chance to build their own connections and memories.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the local community continue to grow and thrive and we are very grateful to have received financial support for the project from Homes England and the Towns Fund.”

Completion is expected in Autumn 2027.

The Zanzibar plans form part of Capital&Centric’s wider push to breathe new life into underused sites in Newcastle, turning forgotten corners into communities and neighbourhoods where people want to live, hang out and put down roots.

Elsewhere in the town the developer is delivering “Rye Park” (a new neighbourhood in the Ryecroft area of Newcastle-under-Lyme); “Karparc” (turning the former Midway Car-Park into homes in a UK-first) and “Astley Place” (the former York Place shopping centre).