Buildings next to Shrewsbury’s Flax Mill Maltings to be demolished
The demolition of three buildings neighbouring the historic Flax Mill Maltings in Ditherington, Shrewsbury, is due to start next week (week beginning Monday 17 September 2012).
The Rexel Senate building on Spring Gardens is set to be demolished first, followed by the neighbouring former Midland Red Social Club, and then the nearby former Arriva bus depot. Work is due to be completed by the end of October 2012.
Work to prepare the buildings for demolition started on Monday 23 July 2012, and they will now be demolished to allow for the future redevelopment of the land on which they stand, as part of a ‘masterplan’ to redevelop the area around the Flax Mill Maltings buildings.
Though the buildings are to be completely demolished, stones from the front of the bus depot that bear the words ‘Midland’, are to be saved and relocated. One will remain at the Flax Mill Maltings site, one will be taken to the new Arriva bus depot at Battlefield, and one will be donated to the Midland Red museum.
The demolition work will be carried out by EMS Services Ltd, one of 17 contractors who bid for the work when it went out to tender earlier this year.
Work does not include the former Salop Glass building which now houses Flaxivity – the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings’ young people’s activity centre.
Mal Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for economic growth and prosperity, said:
“Demolition of the buildings will make the area more attractive by opening up the Flax Mill Maltings site. Carrying out the work now will also save the council money in the long run, as we would have to pay rates if they remained standing.
“When we are successful in bringing the main Flax Mill buildings back into use, we hope that the remainder of the historic buildings on site, and the surrounding land, will be more attractive to potential users and investors.”
Alan Mosley, Chairman of the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings, and Shropshire Councillor for Castlefields and Ditherington, said:
“Many have welcomed the transfer of the Arriva operations to Battlefield and will now be delighted at the news of demolition which will lead to a further enhancement of the area. It also marks another step towards the Flax Mill Maltings masterplan and its enormous regeneration impact on the area.”
Chris Smith, National Planning and Conservation Director for English Heritage, said:
“The Ditherington Flax Mill Maltings partnership, of which English Heritage and Shropshire Council are members, has been working since 2005 to remove the obstacles to development of the site. This work represents yet another important step in the de-risking of the site to make it more attractive for future reuse.”
Work to redevelop and bring back into use some of the main historic buildings on the site – including the Main Mill, the Kiln, the Dye and Stove House and the Office and Stables and associated buildings – is due to begin in 2014 if a second round bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund is successful.
