Council bosses have ordered a clean-up of a derelict pub in Newcastle’s West End.
The owners of the Plaza Tavern, which was originally the Plaza cinema, have been told to carry out repairs at the dilapidated site on the West Road. Newcastle City Council has served an enforcement notice on R Real Estate Limited, demanding an extensive list of works – including the removal of graffiti, boarding up broken windows, and getting rid of rubble.
The property firm said that the repairs would be completed, but that they had encountered difficulties finding contractors to carry them out.
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A council spokesperson said: “When buildings fall into disrepair and potentially pose a risk to public safety, the planning authority has a duty to serve notice on the building’s owner requiring them to carry out the repairs and make the building safe.
“In this instance we have served a S215 notice on the owner of the former Plaza cinema on Newcastle’s West Road. This specifies a list of works that the owner must carry out to improve the safety and appearance of the building.
“The notice takes effect from July 21 from which the owner has three months to comply. Failure to do so can result in prosecution.”
The notice served by the council last week also requires the building owner to repairs the site’s roof and gutters, patch up its walls, and remove the old Plaza Tavern sign as well as various adverts posted around its main entrance.
A spokesperson for R Real Estate Limited told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the required repairs will be carried out. The firm said it was in the process of fixing up the site, but had been struggling to find contractors able to carry out the works.
They added that the company had “done everything possible to try and find a suitable tenant but these are testing times”.
The former bar was previously up for sale in 2019, when it was valued at around £1 million.
