Newcastle tower block to be blown up

Derelict Hexham House high-rise is set to be demolished in May

A derelict tower block is set to be blown up in a controlled explosion following delays.

The Hexham House high-rise, in Walker, Newcastle, will be brought down in a blast expected to take place in late May, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The explosive demolition will be the first of its kind in Newcastle since 2008, when Sir Bobby Robson pushed the button as the old Scottish and Newcastle Brewery was reduced to rubble.

Plans to tear down the block and its former neighbour, Titan House, have been in the works since their last tenants were being moved out in 2018 – at which point some of the few remaining residents were complaining of the flats being used as drug dens.

'Delays'

Newcastle City Council bosses have long planned to remove the 16-storey housing blocks and redevelop the Church Street land as a new housing estate.

But the proposals suffered multiple delays, including in 2022 when officials warned that work to remove asbestos from the empty sites has been made more challenging after a gang of thieves broke in to steal copper piping.

Titan House was gradually demolished last year, with “nibbling machines” pulling the housing block apart bit by bit.

But the Labour-led local authority said that process raised “concerns” and that demolition specialists had deemed a controlled explosion the “safest option” to bring down the remaining tower.

'Frustration'

There are also plans for footage of the explosion to be livestreamed so that people can watch it on social media, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Irim Ali, the local authority’s cabinet member responsible for housing, said: “The delays in the demolition of Hexham House are well known and have been a source of frustration for everyone involved.

"I am pleased we have now agreed a way forward to demolish Hexham House in a way that is safer and quicker and minimises disruption to people who live and pass through the area."

Residents and businesses in the area will receive letters from the contractor informing them of the programme of works before demolition begins, the council says.