Demolition work at Flax Mill site successfully completed
Max from Consortia Group (orange jacket) hands back the keys to the Flax Mill Maltings site to Councillors Alan Mosley and Mal Price (front), Maldwyn Evans (Shropshire Council's property services team) and Elizabeth Perkins (Flax Mill project manager)
To clear the site for possible future development as part of the Flax Mill Maltings ‘Masterplan’, and to enhance the appearance of the area, the former Arriva bus depot, Midland Red Social Club and Rexel Senate building were demolished in October. The 24-metre tall North Silo was demolished in November.
With the buildings successfully demolished, and the leftover debris crushed and cleared away, the contractors are now ready to leave the site, and hand responsibility for it back to Shropshire Council.
Mal Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for economic growth and prosperity, said:
“I’d like to thank our contractors for doing a great job. The successful completion of this demolition work marks the end of work on the Flax Mill site for the time being, but I’m sure everyone will agree that this work has made a hugely positive impact on the appearance of the site and we hope will make it more attractive to potential users and investors.”
Alan Mosley, Chair of the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings and Shropshire Councillor for Castlefields and Ditherington, said:
“The works show that the project is making tremendous progress and many local people have remarked at the great difference the demolitions have made. We can now see the site as the fabulous asset it will become for the local community, Shrewsbury and Shropshire.”
Andrew Patterson from English Heritage said:
“The excellent work undertaken by the contractors has safely removed the last major constraint to the redevelopment of the Flax Mill Maltings site. We are now in a position, assuming a successful outcome to our funding applications, to move forward with the regeneration of this hugely important site.”
Work to restore and bring back into use some of the main historic buildings on the Flax Mill site – including the Main Mill, the Kiln, the Dye and Stove House and the Office and Stables – could begin in August 2013, if bids to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £11.6m, and to the ERDF for £6m, are successful,
This first phase of redevelopment work would allow people to visit and learn about the site and its long and interesting history, and space would be provided for business and commercial use.
The wider ‘Masterplan’ looks at the possible future redevelopment of the remaining buildings and the surrounding land.
