A FORMER North East nightclub will be demolished - but will cost the council hundreds of thousands to flatten.

The disused SLAM nightclub in Middlesbrough, which opens out onto Exchange Square and has been empty since 2016, will cost the council £130,000 to flatten. There will also be £105,000 spent on works for one of the A66 viaduct’s columns housed inside the building that needs “significant repair works” due to water leaks.

Middlesbrough’s historic quarter is undergoing a revamp through the £640,000 High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) project. It is a joint initiative between the council and Historic England.

Deputy mayor Cllr Mieka Smiles said: “I walk past this area every day and it is starting to look a lot better with the improvements that have gone on. To demolish this building will make the area even better and it will make it safer as well, as there are quite a few nooks and crannies and it will make it safer for anti-social behaviour as well.”

Mayor Andy Preston said in the meeting that these works were “straightforward” and “essential”.

Last week, he said: “This is an opportunity to get these essential repairs done and at the same time open up the historic Exchange Square. The improvement works are looking great and the Henry Bolckow statue is looking as good as new so it will be great to make the square even more visible than it already is opposite our beautiful and historic railway station.”

Cllr Polano asked that the demolition leave the area as “presentable as possible” as improvement works have already been carried out in the square. Cllr Barrie Cooper responded: “The plan is, if executive approve, to take the building down, let the dust settle, tidy it up and make it presentable to visitors.”

Cllr Coupe said that he thought the demolition would “certainly improve” the area.
In the same executive meeting, the councillors also approved funding worth £2m to improve Middlesbrough’s worst roads and the introduction of a subsidised pest control service which will cost £15 per visit.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054