Ex-bakery used by Beamish Museum to be demolished after vandalism

A disused bakery which has become a target for vandals will be demolished to make way for a car park.

Kelly's Bakery closed in 1971 and Beamish Museum then used the Annfield Plain property to store artefacts until 2017.

The building, which has stood empty for six years, has been blighted by anti-social behaviour.

But the council have decided to regenerate the site to provide better facilities for residents.

The demolition will make way for a free car park, which will provide a "much-needed facility" for locals visiting shops and dropping off school children, Durham County Council said.

Councillor James Rowlandson said the building was in a "very poor state of repair" and its "complicated internal layout" means it could not be converted to another use.

"It is also not financially viable to bring the building up to an appropriate environmental standard," he said.

Work on the new car park is expected to begin in March 2024.

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