Call to save Newcastle fire-damaged former halls of residence

Newcastle University bosses have been urged not to bulldoze a listed building that was severely damaged by fire.

Flames ripped through Henderson Old Hall, in High Heaton, on the afternoon of 8 June and destroyed its roof.

More than 50 firefighters were called to the disused halls of residence and two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of arson.

The university said the building's future would be decided after fire and police investigations were complete.

There are hopes the Grade II-listed building could be restored and used again.

John Latham, a former student who lived at Henderson Old Hall from 1968 to 1971, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the loss of its roof should not mean that the site has to be demolished.

The 73-year-old, who now lives in Birmingham, called on the university to find a way to "turn tragedy into a success" by restoring the Grade II-listed building and bringing it back into use.

"The fire is not to be taken as a fortunate opportunity for it to be razed, which, it is assumed, is not in the minds of those who are faced with making decisions," he said.

The fire destroyed the roof of the former hall of residence in High Heaton

Heritage campaigners echoed the call to repair the building, with the Northumberland and Newcastle Society's Tim Wickens saying the group was "profoundly saddened" by the fire.

Mr Wickens said: "This elegant Grade II-listed building is an outstanding example of high-quality inter-war architecture and local construction expertise."

He said he hoped the "amazing heritage asset", which opened as a halls of residence in the 1930s, could be "returned to practical use".

This photo shows the building when it opened in the 1930s

The university said that the future of the halls would be decided after fire and police investigations were complete and structural assessments were carried out to assess the "safety and future options for the building".

A spokesperson said: "We are all saddened by the fire at Henderson Old Hall.

"Although it had been empty for a few years, many of our past students have been sharing their happy memories of their time there since it first opened as a residential block in 1932."

Two teenage males, aged 16 and 17, were arrested on suspicion of arson.