Westgate is a busy ward containing the commercial centre of the City. It is a continually evolving ward with many developments bringing new businesses, residential homes, restaurants and an expanding thriving cultural scene along the north bank of the River Tyne.

As it includes the majority of Newcastle City Centre, the ward provides a wide range of shopping, leisure and entertainment opportunities. In addition to the main retail area on Northumberland Street, there are indoor facilities at Eldon Square, Eldon Garden, Newgate Shopping Centre, the Grainger and Green Markets. The ward is home to the Theatre Royal, the Tyne Theatre and Opera House, The Gate, the Tyneside Cinema and the Carling Academy with the Metro Radio Arena and Newcastle City Hall located just outside the boundaries of the ward. It also contains Newcastle University, the Royal Victoria Infirmary, St James’ Park, the Centre for Life, the Hancock Museum, the Discovery Museum, Newcastle Chinatown and the new Community Fire Station at Colby Court, Ryehill.

Westgate is the main transport interchange for the city containing the main Coach Station, Central Railway Station on Neville Street and Metro stations at St James, Haymarket, Monument and Central Station.

The ward is served by a number of community amenities. Residents can access the Civic Centre Customer Service Centre in the neighbouring South Jesmond Ward which provides a comprehensive range of service information and advice from one central point.  

The Central Library is also based in the ward although it is currently closed. The new City Library will be built on the same site and is due to open in early 2009. More information on the new library, along with details of services available during the closure, is available at the New City Library page. 

The North West corner of the ward contains Moorside Library on Beaconsfield Street and residents in the South West of the Ward can access Cruddas Park Library in the neighbouring Elswick ward. Avison Street Community Housing Office in the North West of the Ward and Cruddas Park Housing Office in Elswick ward provide services to Your Homes Newcastle tenants in the area.

There are a number of places of worship in the ward including the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Brunswick Methodist Church, the International Harvest Church, the Prudhoe Street Mission, the Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St Mary, St Andrews Church, St Andrews RC Church, St John the Baptist Church, St Matthew’s Church, and the Salvation Army City Temple. 

The main recreational and sporting facilities in the ward are located at Eldon Leisure which offers a wide variety of activities including indoor climbing, badminton, exercise classes, indoor bowls, football, squash, softplay facilities, table tennis, trampoline classes, and an Impulse fitness suite. Bowling is also available at Summerhill Bowling Club on Winchester Terrace. Outdoor ball courts for football and basketball are located at Kirkdale Green in Ryehill and at Murray House Community Recreation Centre on Diana Street. An indoor sports hall is available to hire at Murray House. 

Westgate’s boundaries provide access to a number of parks in the city including Elswick Park, Nuns Moor Park and Exhibition Park but it is Leazes Park which is actually located in the ward. The Park is home to a bowling club and an angling club and provides public tennis courts and play spaces. The Park is also supported by the ‘Friends of Leazes Park’ who help to maintain the park through regular volunteer mornings and organising guest visits.

The ward is served by four primary schools, Hawthorn; St Paul’s C of E Primary; Moorside Community and Our Lady of St Anne’s RC Primary school. Sure Start Westgate Children’s Centre is based in Ryehill in the South West of the Ward. Ashfield Nursery and Parents Centre and Ryehill Nursery are also located in this area.

Westgate ward is subject to a number of regeneration strategies. Ryehill, in the South West of the Ward, is covered by Newcastle New Deal for Communities. Further information on this scheme is available at www.newcastlendc.co.uk. Ryehill is also included in The Elswick Study which is looking to develop a long term vision for Cruddas Park, Ryehill and most of Elswick. New Mills Estate, in the north west of the ward is subject to improvements under the housing market renewal pathfinder, Bridging NewcastleGateshead. Further information is available at www.bridgingng.org.uk

The City Council has also begun preparation of the City Centre Area Action Plan which will form the basis for development of the City Centre over the next 10-15 years. The Area Action Plan will be part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) which will be Newcastle’s new city-wide development plan. The plan will include area papers on the regeneration of East Pilgrim Street, which extends from New Bridge Street to Swan roundabout, and the Discovery Quarter, the area south and west of the City Centre which includes the Discovery Museum, Centre for Life and the former Scottish and Newcastle Site. Plans for Newcastle Science City will also impact on the Discovery Quarter area with further information available at www.newcastlesciencecity.com