A former Northumberland fire station that was at the centre of a bitter row over the Angel of the North creator Sir Antony Gormley's plans for an artistic space is set to be demolished. Hexham Fire Station at Tyne Mills will be demolished next week to make way for a "state of the art" council depot.
Campaign to save building for arts space
Local residents and councillors had campaigned for the building to be handed over to Sir Antony to use as storage for his work with an exhibition space. However, the council insisted the land was needed for a new depot ahead of new recycling requirements, and pressed ahead with the demolition plan.
Mayor of Hexham Coun Derek Kennedy said: "In an alternative universe, we could have had both a new council depot and a Sir Antony Gormley arts centre on the combined sites that are down there.
"There's plenty of space. It just needed more constructive and imaginative thinking, and we could have had both."Obviously Hexham is going to receive a council depot and we're going to miss out on the Antony Gormley centre, which is really disappointing."
New vehicle workshop planned
The council say the demolition will pave the way for the construction of a brand-new vehicle workshop on the site, which will improve local services and provide much greater value for money for residents.
Councillor Mark Mather, Cabinet Member for Roads and Highways said: "This is a vital next step for a much-needed, state of the art maintenance facility. Not only will it increase our vehicle workshop capacity, but it reaffirms our commitment to significantly boost working conditions and welfare for the many staff who work there.
"It is another huge investment in the west of the County, and the facilities and services provided will benefit not only Hexham but the surrounding communities too."
Demolition timeline and disruption
It is estimated that the process will take around eight weeks. The council say disruption to the surrounding area will be "kept to a minimum", with work taking place between 8am and 5pm.
