Councillors delighted over decision to demolish 'eyesore' former pub

South Tyneside Green Party councillors have welcomed the decision to demolish the derelict Pickwick Arms.

- by Ryan Smith

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South Tyneside Council recently secured full ownership of the site on Dickens Avenue, following lengthy legal negotiations with the owners.

The local authority announced plans to demolish the building, which has become a magnet for graffiti, vandalism and trespassing in recent years, despite the council's attempts to secure the area.

Andrew Whittaker, corporate lead for town centres and foreshore on the local authority, told a recent community meeting it was not possible to repurpose the empty site and that it was "cheaper to knock the building down".

A planning application to demolish the pub has been given the green light, much to the delight of the local authority councillors.

Chris Davies, a Green Party member for the Biddick and All Saints ward, welcomed the decision to bring the saga of the Pickwick Arms to an end.