Newcastle headlines 8 March: Tower block to be demolished in Hexham

Here are the latest Newcastle headlines.

Transcript

00:00 Hi, I'm Iona May and these are your latest Newcastle headlines.

00:03 A derelict Newcastle tower block is to be blown up in a controlled explosion.

00:07 The Hexham House high-rise in Walker is reportedly set to be demolished in late May.

00:12 Newcastle City Council bosses have long planned to remove the 16-storey housing blocks and

00:17 redevelop the land for a new housing estate.

00:19 Next, a family-run Tynemouth bar has announced that it will be permanently closing following

00:24 a £60,000 rise to its electricity bill.

00:27 The Gibraltar Rock on East Street has been closed since New Year's Day due to rising

00:32 costs.

00:33 Finally, a 4.99% council tax rise and almost £15m of spending cuts in Newcastle have been

00:41 signed off.

00:42 Crisis support services and a scheme providing basic items for people in poverty will be

00:47 hit by budget cut proposals signed off by councillors, while residents also face higher

00:52 charges for replacement bins.

00:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]