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Stockton Globe Theatre: Final phase of over-budget revamp begins

BBC The Globe Theatre, StocktonBBC
The Globe theatre closed in 1997 having been used as a bingo hall since 1977

The final phase of a project to revamp a troubled Teesside theatre which is more than £20m over budget is about to begin.

Work to refurbish Stockton's Globe Theatre began in 2011 with a budget of £4m being shared between Stockton Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

But structural problems have pushed the total bill up to an estimated £26.5m.

More than 200 tonnes of steel is due to arrive on site on Monday which will help to reinforce the building.

The Grade II-listed, Art Deco theatre closed in 1997 having been used as a bingo hall for the previous 20 years.

PA Globe Theatre StocktonPA
The funding will help transform the theatre into a live music and comedy venue

It was famed for hosting concerts by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Buddy Holly,

It is due to reopen in November 2020.

Nigel Cooke, Stockton Council's cabinet member for regeneration and housing, said the construction work was an "exciting step forward" for the project.

"One of the challenges of the restoration is making sure we can safely move materials onto the site," he added.

"We are doing all we can to do this in a way that minimises disruption to people visiting the town centre."

The council said the work will cause disruption to the city centre for more than two months, with one lane of the town's High Street closed off.