Work to rehouse elderly residents before Hebburn tower demolition 'going quite well' as update given

In June last year South Tyneside Council’s Labour cabinet agreed to demolish Durham Court, the last remaining residential high-rise building in Hebburn.

Ruling councillors had initially agreed to knock the structure down and rehouse its residents in May, before a valid call-in request was subsequently submitted by a number of opposition councillors.

This meant the decision was referred to the council’s overview and scrutiny coordinating and call-in committee, who examined the resolution and unanimously agreed to refer the issue back to cabinet for reconsideration.

However the leading councillors made their final verdict and ultimately decided to stick with their original decision after considering concerns raised over the plans.

Council reports at the time outlined how the 18-storey block, which is for the over 55s, dates back to 1974 and has 111 flats, of which 70 were occupied, and “96 occupants” resided in the building, with the majority aged over 65.

Local authority chiefs added no timescales had been set for when the building would be knocked down and the demolition work would not begin until all residents found a suitable alternative home.

At the latest meeting of Hebburn Community Area Forum (on Monday, January 5) an update was given by council officers on how the rehousing period was progressing.

Thomas Martin, council housing manager for Hebburn, speaking at the meeting, said: “It’s ongoing, it’s going quite well.

“It’s going well and it’s continuing moving forward in the new year, it’s really positive.”

He noted he was unable to give exact figures for the numbers of people who have been rehoused at this time.

When the decision was made last year, council chiefs had outlined how the demolition process was expected to take approximately three to four years, including the rehousing period.

They also noted a dedicated housing team would remain on-site throughout the transition spell.

At the latest meeting of Hebburn CAF one Durham Court resident in attendance praised the local authority staff they had dealt with for being “fantastic” and “first class”.

Councillor Angela Lamonte, chair of the CAF, added this “reiterates” and backs up the council’s pledge that residents would be “supported right through the process”.

Speaking at the meeting, she said: “I think we had a lot of people that were quite concerned they wouldn’t be, but we gave that reassurance that you would be and the council staff are very well-versed in these kinds of schemes.”

Three options had previously been considered for the future of Durham Court: direct investment, sale or transfer to another provider, and demolition.

Demolition was identified as the most economically viable and sustainable option, with the least long-term risk to tenants and the council.