Work begins on demolition of the Golden Eagle in Thornaby
Work has begun on the demolition of the Golden Eagle hotel in Thornaby, marking a huge milestone in the aspirations for the £23.9million Thornaby Town Deal.
This allows a key priority of the Town Deal Board to be realised and ends years of uncertainty about the eyesore building's future.
Members of the Town Deal Board joined appointed contractor MGL Demolition, part of MGL Group, on site to mark the start of the work on Monday (4 August).
The complex demolition process will involve the removal of the significant levels of asbestos and a site strip out, before work on removing the structure of the building takes place.
The demolition is set to be complete in spring 2026 and will provide a cleared site for future redevelopment, led by the town centre owner, LCP Proudreed.
Tackling long-term vacant properties in Thornaby Town Centre to create opportunities for new development is one of the key areas that the Town Deal Board identified as a priority for Town Deal.
The Board is made up of a range of local stakeholders from public and private sector bodies, including Thornaby councillors and MPs for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East and Stockton West.
Councillor Richard Eglington, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: "We are really pleased that with the support of the Thornaby Town Deal Board, the long-awaited removal of the Golden Eagle has begun to bring about positive change to the town centre.
"This is the next step towards unlocking new opportunities for Thornaby by removing a building that has been an eyesore for a number of years and a barrier for future investment.
"Given the building is situated in the middle of a busy town centre, close to businesses and residents, we are all working together to ensure it is brought down quickly and most importantly, safely."
Mark White CBE DL, Chair of the Thornaby Town Deal Board, said: "Following years of hard work, planning and cooperation, I am delighted to be with the Board to mark such a momentous occasion for Thornaby-on-Tees.
"This demolition milestone shows the willingness of all partners on the Town Deal Board to work together to find solutions with the single goal of improving the town."
Mark Davison Jnr, Head of Demolition at MGL Demolition, said: "MGL Demolition is proud to support this key milestone for Thornaby as work begins to safely demolish the Golden Eagle. This represents a significant step forward in unlocking future opportunities and accelerating the wider regeneration of the town centre."
