Town hall security plea after trespassers found
GoogleDevelopers looking to restore an old town hall have called on the current owners to protect the building after trespassers were found inside.
Gateshead Council said it was informed by police on Sunday that people were inside the Old Town Hall, which has stood vacant for more than a decade.
Capital&Centric co-founder Tim Heatley, who is planning to turn the Grade II listed structure on West Street into flats, said he hoped the building's current owner would "put measures into place to prevent anyone else breaking in".
Gateshead Council said the site's leaseholder, Kinetic Properties, had since boarded up windows to secure the site.
"While the leaseholders are responsible for the security of the Old Town Hall and Library, we recognise the importance of these historic buildings," a council spokesperson said.
"When the police told us on Sunday that there had been a break-in, we immediately contacted the leaseholders and have been working with them to ensure the building is secured."
Smashed windows
Gateshead Old Town Hall was used as the council's headquarters for 120 years until it moved to the new Civic Centre in 1987.
Since then, it has been used by a number of organisations, including The Glasshouse (previously known as Sage Gateshead) and the Tyneside Cinema.
In 2018 the site was acquired by Dinosauria Ltd, which planned to turn the building into an attraction called the "unnatural history museum".
However, plans fell through and the lease has now passed to a connected company, Kinetic Properties, which has been contacted for comment.
The BBC understands the inside of the building is in a state of disrepair, has been daubed with graffiti and many of its windows have been smashed prior to being boarded up.
Heatley said Capital&Centric has an agreement to purchase the building in the future but was not currently responsible for the site.
"It's disappointing to hear that the building is being vandalised," he said.
"We will encourage the current owners to put measures into place to prevent anyone else breaking in."
