Demolition of student accommodation under way
LDRSDemolition work is under way to tear down a former Newcastle University hall of residence, which was once home to thousands of students.
It is expected the student housing known as Castle Leazes will be completely demolished by spring, ahead of a planned £250m redevelopment of the site.
The existing accommodation, which had bed capacity for 1,247 students, is being torn down after it was branded outdated and too costly to bring up to modern standards.
Bosses from the university and student housing provider Unite Students have lodged full proposals for the revamp, with an increased capacity to house more than 2,000 students - but the council's planning committee has yet to deliver a verdict.
The university believes the development "will alleviate pressure on the city's housing market", particularly in popular suburbs such as Jesmond and Sandyford.
It has previously warned that it has an "immediate and pressing shortage" of student beds, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
A joint statement issued by the university and Unite Students said the plans will provide "sustainable, state-of-the-art facilities" within a development which "ensures net biodiversity gain".
It also stated "extensive consultation with local residents has taken place to ensure the demolition work has minimal impact on the local community".
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