The Stage

Demolition order for Wallsend theatre causes concern

Published Tuesday 15 June 2010 at 12:17 by Natalie Woolman

North Tyneside’s Borough Theatre has been marked for demolition by the local council despite the fact that heritage body Theatres Trust has been “inundated” with calls to save the building.

The Wallsend venue has been largely unused for ten years. North Tyneside Council recently acquired the building and intends to demolish it and bring forward plans for a residential development on the site.

Two applications to English Heritage for the venue to become a listed building over the last five years have been rejected due to alterations to its exterior.

A spokesperson for North Tyneside Council said: “In response to the concerns of the residents of Wallsend about the decline of Wallsend town centre, which is most clearly evident in disused buildings such as the former Borough Bingo, the council has acquired the building (and the nearby Fox Garage) in order to bring forward beneficial development.

“While the aspirations of a small number of local residents to refurbish the building and reuse it as a theatre are laudable, they are not considered financially viable or sustainable, particularly in view of the significant reductions in public sector funding and the very poor condition of the building.”

Theatres Trust planning and heritage adviser Mark Price commented: “The Borough Theatre could be a real cultural asset to Wallsend, particularly as the North Tyneside Council website states that ‘2010/11 is Year of the Arts in North Tyneside’.

“We are concerned about the loss of potential cultural and community use in the area as well as the long-term gap-site on the high street following the proposed demolition. The trust will continue to urge the council to look at sustainable cultural re-use for the community and the setting up of a local trust rather than opt for outright demolition.”

The Borough Theatre was built in 1909. It closed as a theatre/cinema in 1960, re-opening two years later as a bingo hall. It ceased its main operations in 2000. Ornamental details on the venue’s exterior were removed at an unknown date.