Demolition work begins on asbestos-riddled 'eyesore'

FORMER GOLDEN EAGLE HOTEL WILL NEED TO BE STRIPPED OUT BEFORE WORK REMOVING THE STRUCTURE CAN START

- By GARETH LIGHTFOOT

WORK has started on the demolition of the former Golden Eagle hotel in Thornaby.

Politicians and leaders have hailed the long-awaited milestone on Monday as a major step in the town's regeneration.

The job will take months as the eyesore building contains significant levels of asbestos, the worst ever seen by one surveyor, and has been described by the area's MP Andy McDonald as "one of the most complicated demolition jobs of its kind ever performed in the UK".

The complex demolition process will involve the asbestos removal and a site strip-out before work on removing the structure of the building. It is set to be complete in spring 2026, clearing the site for redevelopment led by the town centre owner LCP Proudreed.

It is being funded from Town Deal funding from the previous government, and £1.34m from the Indigenous Growth Fund. Tackling long-term vacant properties in Thornaby town centre was one of the priorities identified by the Town Deal Board, which is made up of local stakeholders including councillors and MPs, for £23.9m of Town Fund money.

The budget for the project rose by almost £1m to an expected demolition cost of £1.52m. Most of it will be spent on removing the asbestos spread across surfaces in the seven-storey Trenchard Avenue building, rather than the demolition itself.

Leaders say the start of demolition work ends years of uncertainty about the building's future.