Music venue demolition would be 'symbolic loss'

Westgarth Social Club in Middlesbrough was once a popular music venue

Proposals to demolish a former music venue have been described as a symbolic loss for the arts community.

Middlesbrough's Westgarth Social Club, which was once a thriving hub of live music hosting stars such as The Vaccines and James Bay, has stood empty since 2023.

The town's council has asked the applicant for more information about what would replace the building and three attached flats on Southfield Road, before a decision to pull it down is made.

Stockton-based NE Volume Magazine editor and co-owner of NE Volume Music Bar Lee Allcock said the atmosphere at the former venue had been "raw, real, and electrifying".

Mr Allcock said he was "gutted" to hear the venue could be demolished.

"This place isn't just bricks and mortar – it's where countless Teessiders fell in love with live music," he said.

Lee Allcock said the atmosphere at Westgarth Social Club had been electrifying

The Tees Music Alliance, a charitable organisation in nearby Stockton aimed at promoting music, said losing the location would be a sad reminder of what was once there and put a "definite end to the prospect of it ever reopening as a venue".

Programme and Venue Manager Chris Cobain said the prospect was sad as "it's a building with a lot of memories attached to it".

"It was one of only a handful of spaces across Teesside where emerging talent could be showcased."

Mr Cobain said the real sadness came at the point when it closed its doors, ending its use as a venue.

The social club, which was founded in 1911, closed amid rising costs following the Covid pandemic.

Applicants Biz Investments Limited had previously said it wanted to clear the site to make way for "future development".

However, Middlesbrough Council planners said they wanted "further detail on the restoration of the site to prevent long-term visual harm to the character of the area".

If approved, demolition would take approximately five weeks and involve some temporary road closures.

Biz Investments Limited has been contacted for comment.