The Sockburn Service Centre on Main South Road is finally being demolished after being unoccupied for over ten years, with demolition work due to start within two weeks.

Council Head of Facilities, Property and Planning Bruce Rendall said the building had been assessed by engineers as earthquake-prone and has been cordoned off since the earthquakes.

“The Council has decided it is uneconomic to repair the building so it is going to be demolished and the site cleared. We expect the demolition work will take about 12 weeks to complete.”

Councillor Jimmy Chen, who represents the Hornby ward said “unfortunately in the years the building has sat unoccupied it has been repeatedly attacked by vandals and it has become a bit of an eye-sore. I’m sure many in the local community will be pleased to see it demolished and the site cleared.”

The Council is currently considering the future of the site through its Draft 2021-31 Long Term Plan.

Parts of the Sockburn Service Centre building date back to 1958. The building was originally single storey, but a new two-storey structure was built over the top of the original building in 1971.