Student accommodation site to be demolished

The university wants to replace the buildings at Spital Tongues with modern accommodation

A halls of residence that has housed tens of thousands of students will be demolished.

Plans to tear down Newcastle University’s Castle Leazes accommodation blocks have been officially approved by the City Council.

The 17 blocks will be removed and the land levelled ready for future building work.

In a joint statement, Newcastle University and Unite Students said plans are being put in place to provide new accommodation for "the growing student population".

They added the 1,250-bed Castle Leazes blocks "no longer provide a satisfactory level of student accommodation".

A report from consultants Pegasus Group said: "The buildings at Castle Leazes are of their time and do not provide facilities or spaces which reflect the needs of the modern student.

"The buildings are ‘life-spent’, costly to maintain and also perform poorly in terms of sustainability."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, it is hoped replacement blocks will be ready to open in 2027 and 2028.