Work halts on Odeon
THE OLD CINEMA COLLAPSED MORE THAN A WEEK AGO
Reporter WORK is yet to restart on the former Odeon cinema – one week after the remains of the building collapsed onto Pilgrim Street.
The Health and Safety Executive has issued an indefinite prohibition banning work being carried out on the site.
Twisted scaffolding and piles of rubble remain behind the wooden hoardings along Pilgrim Street.
It is not known when work will be allowed to resume as the area must remain untouched for the HSE to inspect.
A spokesperson for the HSE said: “All work other than the assessment of the structural stability of the site has been prohibited.”
The investigation into what went wrong is ongoing after the partially demolished building dramatically collapsed last Monday night.
Eyewitnesses described hearing a loud rumble before the final few storeys of the historic building collapsed on to the road, crushing a bus shelter.
Esther Beadle, who was on the street at the time, said: “The noise when it collapsed was so loud that some taxi drivers came running around the corner to see what had happened.
“Luckily no rubble made it as far as the pavement on our side, but had it been just a little bit further, it would have done.”
The iconic cinema, which dates back to 1931, has been under demolition since January.
It has since emerged that a report of workmen drinking alcohol on the site is being investigated by the HSE.
The HSE is probing claims that a workman was seen with a can of lager hours after the accident as part of their wider investigation.
A spokesperson for the organisation said: “The Health and Safety Executive was made aware of this incident and inspectors attended the scene. We have been working closely with Newcastle City Council to ensure the site is as safe as possible.
“We have launched an investigation. As part of this ongoing inquiry, we will work closely with all those involved in the work on this site to establish whether suitable and sufficient working policies and practices were in place to safeguard both workers and members of the public.”
The cinema is being pulled down after its owners submitted plans to clear the site and transform the area of the city into a retail hub, but the collapse has reignited the debate around the historic building.
It has stood empty since its last film screening in 2002. However, many people have fond memories of the old picture house.
David Hodgson from Lemington said: “It was lovely building, we used to have regular visits. I remember going to see ET there, it was a lovely treat to go there.”