TEESSIDE SCAFFOLDER
Well-known member
Date: 29/11/2010
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The Dunston Rocket looks set to be demolished… by local people.`
The contract to demolish the 29-storey Owen Luder-designed Derwent Tower – known locally as the “Dunston Rocket” – was awarded to the Birmingham-based demolition contractor Coleman and Company earlier this month.
But instead of bringing in workers from their West Midlands base, the company has decided to recruit a local workforce to undertake much of the demolition work.
Their decision means that the tower’s demolition will have the spin-off benefit of providing much-needed employment for local people which will ensure that much of the funding earmarked for the building’s demolition will remain in the Tyneside area.
The company is currently advertising for site supervisors and managers, soft-strip gangs and labourers. Demolition of Derwent Tower and its adjacent maisonettes is expected to begin early in the New Year and last around 18 months.
Councillor Angela Douglas, Cabinet member for Housing, says: ”Most local people will be glad just to see the Dunston Rocket go – but the fact that its demolition could also provide a real boost for the local economy is an unexpected bonus.
Once Derwent Tower and its 116 adjacent maisonettes have been demolished, Gateshead Council will bring forward plans to redevelop the Ravensworth Road area. Proposals include the development of a range of residential properties, a new supermarket, a number of shop units, and possibly a doctor’s surgery. The development would be phased to ensure that a new supermarket is provided on site before the existing supermarket building is demolished.
In October 2007, Gateshead councillors agreed to start moving tenants out of Derwent Tower into alternative accommodation because of health and safety associated with the tower’s structural condition, which had deteriorated over the years due to its construction and the materials used.
Many of the 196 flats suffered from damp, the car park had been flooded since the building opened in 1973, essential services broke down regularly and water pressure and heating were both poor. The tower would have required many millions of pounds to make it habitable, but this is not thought to be cost-effective as very few people actually wish to live there. The tower has now been empty for around two years.
The redevelopment expected to take place over a period of approximately 5-6 years.
For details of job vacancies, contact Coleman & Company Ltd., Shady Lane, Great Barr, Birmingham on (0121) 325 2424 or at contracts@coleman-co.com.
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The Dunston Rocket looks set to be demolished… by local people.`
The contract to demolish the 29-storey Owen Luder-designed Derwent Tower – known locally as the “Dunston Rocket” – was awarded to the Birmingham-based demolition contractor Coleman and Company earlier this month.
But instead of bringing in workers from their West Midlands base, the company has decided to recruit a local workforce to undertake much of the demolition work.
Their decision means that the tower’s demolition will have the spin-off benefit of providing much-needed employment for local people which will ensure that much of the funding earmarked for the building’s demolition will remain in the Tyneside area.
The company is currently advertising for site supervisors and managers, soft-strip gangs and labourers. Demolition of Derwent Tower and its adjacent maisonettes is expected to begin early in the New Year and last around 18 months.
Councillor Angela Douglas, Cabinet member for Housing, says: ”Most local people will be glad just to see the Dunston Rocket go – but the fact that its demolition could also provide a real boost for the local economy is an unexpected bonus.
Once Derwent Tower and its 116 adjacent maisonettes have been demolished, Gateshead Council will bring forward plans to redevelop the Ravensworth Road area. Proposals include the development of a range of residential properties, a new supermarket, a number of shop units, and possibly a doctor’s surgery. The development would be phased to ensure that a new supermarket is provided on site before the existing supermarket building is demolished.
In October 2007, Gateshead councillors agreed to start moving tenants out of Derwent Tower into alternative accommodation because of health and safety associated with the tower’s structural condition, which had deteriorated over the years due to its construction and the materials used.
Many of the 196 flats suffered from damp, the car park had been flooded since the building opened in 1973, essential services broke down regularly and water pressure and heating were both poor. The tower would have required many millions of pounds to make it habitable, but this is not thought to be cost-effective as very few people actually wish to live there. The tower has now been empty for around two years.
The redevelopment expected to take place over a period of approximately 5-6 years.
For details of job vacancies, contact Coleman & Company Ltd., Shady Lane, Great Barr, Birmingham on (0121) 325 2424 or at contracts@coleman-co.com.
