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The major redevelopment will transform and extend the building into a cultural destination for the region.

The contract was awarded by South Tyneside Council and procured through the NEPO Framework, which represents 12 North East local authorities.

Built in 1863 and extended in 1878, the Customs House is a symbol of the town’s maritime heritage. Converted into an arts venue in the 1990s, it is operated by The Customs House Trust Limited and features a 442-seat theatre, 132-seat studio/cinema, rehearsal rooms, gallery spaces, restaurant, and private dining suite. A new architectural glass entrance and arrival area will create a greater sense of welcome, while an ‘internal street’ will link the Customs House and adjacent Daltons Lane workshop, forming a communal hub for interaction and events.

The transformation of the building will involve internal reconfiguration, sensitive restoration of key heritage elements, and carefully integrated extensions to create modern, accessible, multifunctional spaces for community, leisure, educational, and commercial use.

It forms part of wider regeneration plans for the town, made possible after South Tyneside Council secured £20m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund Round Three.

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