Another Whitley Bay landmark is to be restored
North Tyneside Council has confirmed cleaning works are due to start on another Whitley Bay landmark, as restoration work on St Mary’s Lighthouse continues.
Whitley Bay’s Spanish City Dome is scheduled to get some TLC early next month as part of a restoration project to the town’s grade II listed lighthouse. The clean-up is coming at no extra cost to the local authority, except for minor installations like scaffolding.
A spokesperson for North Tyneside Council said: “We’re pleased to confirm that cleaning of the Spanish City Dome will begin on September 2 and is expected to take around 10 days. We expect very little disruption and we’re committed to ensuring our landmarks remain a source of pride and enjoyment for everyone.”
Whitley Bay North councillor John O’Shea said: “I think it’s fantastic news that the Spanish City and its cupolas will be cleaned up in the coming months. They have become stained with green algae, so I am pleased the work is set to start and that it has been arranged so that the working times don’t affect visitors to the dome or local businesses.
“All in all, it is a great outcome”.
The restoration of St Mary’s Lighthouse has cost the council almost £900,000, including a new weather-resistant paint job and repair works to the lighthouse itself and St Mary’s Island’s visitor centre.
The Dome closed its doors in 2000, ending over 100 years as the centre of leisure in Whitley Bay and beyond. It reopened to the public in July 2018, following a £10m restoration project.
The Spanish City site will also see the introduction of a ‘Veterans’ Walkway’ surrounding the cenotaph. Stone tablets will be laid on the ground and engraved with the names of service personnel past and present.