UK – Tearing down

Two years ago, Lafarge closed its Eastgate cement plant, near Weardale, County Durham. Since then its industrial buildings have told a sorry tale of glory long-gone and provided the local community with a longing to see it demolished and the site’s former picturesque landscape restored.

This appears now to be happening as Lafarge has applied to Wear Valley District Council for planning permission to use the works’ former social club as a project management base to demolish the old works. Moreover, the company is finalising a tender document destined for specialist industrial demolition companies to handle the work. Works manager Peter Greeno said that although a timetable for the project could not be confirmed until a contractor had been found, the final phases of decommissioning the buildings and other pre-demolition work required were in an advanced stage.