A date has been set for the closure of a North East shopping centre before the diggers move in and reduce the rest of it to rubble.

The Castlegate Shopping Centre in Stockton is set to permanently shut later this month as the second phase of its demolition will take place.

This will also include the once-popular Swallow Hotel which has become an eyesore over the years after falling into disrepair.

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In a statement last night, Stockton Borough Council confirmed the demolition of the site will begin on Monday, October 24.

It comes as much of the site has already been razed in order to create Stockton Waterfront, riverside plaza and a bridge that will connect the High Street to the Tees.

During the second phase of demolition, a number of changes will be in place from Monday and include the following:

There will be no access to the shopping centre or Spencer Market Hall. B&M and Barclays will remain open with access from Stockton High Street.

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Castlegate Shopping Centre's rooftop car park will permanently close with the council urging people to find alternative town centre car parks.

As a result, access into Castlegate Shopping Centre via the Millennium Footbridge will be permanently closed.

Hoardings covering the second phase are also set to be installed along the High Street and Riverside Road in preparation for the next phase of demolition.

From there, demolition teams will then move through the most northern part of the centre following the relocation of remaining tenants Barclays and B&M.

The council has said an engagement process with businesses in the town is also underway to ensure all efforts are made to minimise disruption in the immediate area.

The first phase of demolition, which involved the complete demolition multi storey carpark and the southern end of the shopping centre, is almost complete.

Councillor Nigel Cooke, Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "This is an exciting time for Stockton Town Centre and the closure of Castlegate Shopping Centre represents an important milestone in both the town's history and its redevelopment.

"The demolition is in its early stages but you can already see the striking impact that removing these buildings will have on the town and how wonderful it will be once the High Street is fully opened up to the river.

"We've worked closely with Castlegate's tenants on their relocation into Wellington Square and there's been some real success stories there. The work we are doing in Stockton and across our six town centres to encourage new uses and ensure they are vibrant places means that the future will be bright for residents, businesses and visitors."

The demolition will be complete in summer 2023, with the construction and redevelopment of the urban park beginning soon after.

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