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Car park countdown

DEMOLITION of the Gateshead car park immortalised in the cult 1970s Michael Caine gangster film Get Carter is expected to be completed by midday tomorrow.

The demolition of Gateshead multi storey car park marks a significant step in the regeneration of Gateshead Town Centre. Leader of Gateshead Council Mick Henry and designer of the synonymous but controversial structure, Owen Luder, took one last visit to the car parks roof top restaurant before work began.

Leader of Gateshead Council, Councillor Mick Henry, said, “This car park has played a significant part in Gateshead’s history, not least the role it has played as a location for filming and photography. For forty years it has been a feature of the Newcastle and Gateshead skyline, albeit frequently a controversial one, which has served its purpose for thousands of cars over the years. “

Three huge demolition machines from contractors Thompsons of Prudhoe, have nibbled the brutalistic reinforced concrete structure down. A total of 34,000 tonnes of concrete have been torn down by a 105 tonne Komatsu machine, with 42 inch concrete sheers brought in specifically for the job from Holland, and a slightly smaller 80 tonne Caterpillar machine with 32 inch jaws. The third machine will process the concrete before it is sent off site.

At its highest point the car park was 38 metres tall and some of the supporting columns were up to 40 inches in diameter

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .