Fire-hit building's future still uncertain

The future of a fire-hit former university halls of residence remains uncertain more than a year after the blaze.

Henderson Old Hall, in Newcastle, sustained damage estimated at £15m in June, 2023.

Almost the entire roof of the Grade II listed property was destroyed and there were worries about the state of the site in the months that followed.

Newcastle University bosses said rubble had been removed from the area, while scaffolding and coverings have been put up to protect the remains.

There have been calls from former students and local councillors for the High Heaton building, which was first used as a student residential block in 1932 but latterly derelict, to be restored to its former glory.

However, the university said it had yet to determine what renovations might be possible.

A spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The debris removal works at Henderson Old Hall are now complete and we have erected a temporary structure to protect the building from the weather.

"Survey works are ongoing to determine the feasibility of the next steps."

The university said in January that initial assessments had "proved more complex than initially thought" following concerns about what further damage the building may have suffered having been left exposed for more than six months.

Heritage body the Northumberland and Newcastle Society called it an "outstanding example of high-quality inter-war architecture and local construction expertise", and expressed hope that a "positive and sustainable future for this amazing heritage asset" could be found.

Two teenage boys admitted arson and were given six-month and four-month detention and training orders respectively at the youth court in North Tyneside in February.