Given to the People by Sir John Readhead.
After extensive research by South Tyneside Council’s Legal Services Department, it has been established that the authority does not own Readhead’s Landing on the riverside at South Shields. Despite this, the Council has moved to protect public safety and has made the site, off Commercial Road, safe and secure. The pedestrian gate at Readhead’s Landing was locked by an adjoining landowner some time ago because of health and safety concerns. Now the Council has secured the entire site to protect the public. And although it is not legally required to do so, the authority is investigating the costs of a provisional clean-up to rid the site of rubbish dumped by fly-tippers and algae which is coating the concrete slipway. Councillor Michael Clare, Lead Member Neighbourhood Services and a Simonside and Rekendyke Ward Member, said: “Even though the Council does not own this land, we take our duty of care very seriously. “That is why we have moved to protect the public from possible injury by securing the side gate at Readhead’s Landing and investigating the possibility of cleaning up the site. Even if this work is done, however, it would not solve the considerable health and safety issues associated with public access to the Landing.
STC, 2005
From 2013 when all the landing were disappearing!
Taken from the people and given to Port of Tyne by a Planning Officer of South Tyneside Council.
The Port of Tyne erected a 6ft tall fence at the bottom of Readhead’s Landing, off Commercial Road in South Shields, as a security measure.
Read more: Unfortunately deleted: A DECISION to fence off an historic riverside right of way has been labelled “health and safety gone mad”.
But the move has angered protesters, who have been fighting for more than a year to retain the landing for public use.
The port is pushing ahead with a £180m extension of its Riverside Quay, which involves filling in the remaining front section of Tyne Dock.
The work is required to provide additional berthing for ships, as part of a massive renewable energy expansion plan, which would create hundreds of jobs.
The plans require the closure of the landing, the town’s only remaining direct public access to the river.