'Protect the landmark' - South Shields Town Hall 'essential' work plans approved

Plans for temporary scaffolding at South Shields Town Hall to enable "essential maintenance" to its historic clock tower have been approved.

South Tyneside Council recently submitted an application to its own planning department seeking listed building consent for works to the Grade II-listed civic site.

This included the "erection of temporary scaffolding to the clock tower and associated fixings into masonry to facilitate works to the bell installation".

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A supporting statement outlined the town hall's "significant architectural and historic interest" and said the clock tower forms a "prominent and defining feature of the skyline".

The council asked for permission from its own planning officers for temporary scaffolding to the clock tower to "enable safe access and lifting operations associated with the bells, hammers and clock faces".

In addition, the project proposed the "installation of temporary mechanical fixings (pins) drilled into mortar joints and/or masonry to secure the scaffold structure".

Supporting planning documents noted the scaffolding was needed due to the "weight of the bells and associated lifting operations" and said "conventional non-invasive scaffold methods" were "not sufficient in this case".

The heritage, design and access statement added the use of "mechanical fixings into masonry is the only viable method to ensure structural stability and safety of operatives and the building".

Those behind the scheme added the scaffolding was designed as a temporary enabling structure and that there would be "no permanent alteration to the building’s character".

Following the scaffold removal, all pins are expected to be extracted and holes repaired using "lime-based mortar compatible with the existing fabric", or "indented stone plugs where required," according to the council.

South Tyneside Council previously said works were due to start in late-June 2026 and fencing has since been erected around the base of the town hall clock tower, which is nearly 120 years old.

The listed building consent application for temporary scaffolding was approved on July 10, 2026, and at the time of writing (July 14), there was no scaffolding erected at the clock tower.

Council planners, in a decision report, said the proposal would "result in no significant harm to the heritage significance or visual appearance of the listed building".

A condition was also added to ensure the scaffolding is "dismantled within one month of completion of the clock upgrade works" to "ensure the timely removal of the temporary structure, which obscures a Grade II-listed building."

South Tyneside Council previously said the standalone project reflects the local authority's ongoing commitment to preserving its historic buildings for the future.

As part of the project, specialist contractors are due to address areas that have shown signs of deterioration.

The works are expected to conclude later this year, with no impact on access in and out of the town hall building while the project is under way.

Councillor Susan Sybenga, deputy council leader with responsibility for finance and resources, previously praised the project.

"Our town hall sits at the heart of the town," she said.

"By investing in essential maintenance now, we’re helping to protect this historic landmark and avoid more significant repairs in the future.”

For more information, visit South Tyneside Council's planning portal website and search for reference 260276.