City Hall revamp plans approved

Newcastle City Hall is a Grade II listed building which opened in 1927

Newcastle City Hall is to be revamped to help the venue "regain its former glory".

Plans to refurbish the Grade II listed building, which include a new balcony-level bar, were given the green light by the council.

Operators Academy Music Group and Live Nation said the work was needed to put the venue "firmly back on the touring acts' schedule", with planning documents warning it had "not moved with the times" and was being overlooked by major acts.

The new bar will be built in a disused section of the adjoining City Baths building, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The venue opened in 1927 and has hosted acts including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

'Here to stay'

Newcastle City Baths, which is also Grade II listed, reopened in 2021 after being closed for eight years as part council cost-cutting measures.

"Utilising an area of the baths, which was falling into disrepair, and taking away the financial burden that has on the baths will help the future of the swimming baths as a going concern," the planning application said.

"It will help both City Hall and the baths, in equal measure, in providing a first-class service to its customers and ensuring these important city assets are here to stay."

Existing doors, partition walls, historic panelling and masonry, and a spiral staircase will be removed as part of the work.

The Labour-led council said the redesign would "undoubtedly cause a degree of harm to the existing character and appearance" of the building.

However, planners approved proposals and said connecting the disused section of the baths into the City Hall would "bring the building closer to being used in its entirety, ensuring a future for the asset".

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