Demolition plans submitted for Chuter Ede Community Centre in South Shields

South Tyneside Council has applied to its own planning department to demolish the Chuter Ede Community Association, which sits off Galsworthy Road in the Biddick and All Saints ward.

In recent months it was revealed the organisation operating the community association at Chuter Ede was closing the centre for financial reasons.

Although the community centre was initially meant to shut on May 5, 2023, the building’s owner South Tyneside Council agreed to extend the closure date to early-September, 2023.

This was with the intention of helping groups that previously operated from the South Shields centre, including a local cheerleading training club, to find new premises ahead of its closure.

The closure plans have sparked opposition from local residents and centre users, with a petition recently submitted at a council meeting calling for South Tyneside Council to ‘Save Chuter Ede Community Association’.

The petition included a total of 2,008 signatories at the time, including 1,025 from within South Tyneside.

However South Tyneside Council is pressing ahead with the demolition plan and a formal application for ‘prior approval’ was registered by the local authority’s planning department on August 1, 2023.

The planning application form states the building is “surplus to the council’s requirements” and in a “poor state of disrepair”.

It adds that demolition works aim to “make way for the future development of the site” and that measures would be put in place to reduce dust, noise and vibration during the demolition works.

Plans have already been approved to demolish vacant outdated parts of the centre, including two large wings of the central building, a standalone prefabricated classroom and an additional rear building.

The new application would see remaining buildings removed.

Subject to approval, a planning application states demolition is planned between October 2, 2023 and February 29, 2024.

The council has previously outlined long-term plans for the Chuter Ede site, which has been earmarked for extra care accommodation for adults with care needs.

Although this is still at the design stage with a planning submission expected next year, the council confirmed the plans would include “integrated community facilities”.

A decision on the demolition of Chuter Ede is expected to be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

For more information on the demolition proposals, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: ST/0551/23/DEM