Work under way on careful reconstruction of High Street building

The building is in the Newcastle Town Centre Conservation Area and has experienced structural damage to its upper section, which had become a safety issue.

Borough council officers have been liaising with the owner to ensure it is made safe and will approve the works in line with building regulations once completed.

Work includes partial demolition and rebuild of a wall. Planning permission for the works was granted earlier this year, and while there have been some delays, work has now started. While the scaffolding extends into the street due to the height of the building and safety risk of building collapse, this can be redesigned and amended as works progress.

Jonathan Gullis, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council Leader and Cabinet member for Planning and Town Centres, said:

We want our High Street to be vibrant and attractive as it continues to attract visitors and future investment and so protecting it as an asset to the borough is a priority to us.

 

This is a prominent and historic building which has suffered structural damage, though work is now under way to repair it. Our officers liaised with the owner due to its location within the conservation area and ongoing safety risks mean the extensive scaffolding is necessary.

 

While there have been some delays by the owner in getting works up and running, we now look forward to seeing them progress as quickly and efficiently as possible.”