Demolition specialists Connell Brothers have started demolition of the vacant Tameside Court, last remaining tower block of the old Hattersley Estate. The iconic 11-storey high Tameside Court is being demolished in the next phase of a dynamic regeneration programme in Hattersley which to date has seen £200m invested by partners Tameside Council, Peak Valley Housing Association, Symphony Housing Group and The Homes and Communities Agency.
Tameside Court is being demolished using Connell Brothers’ specialist Caterpillar 375 customised high reach demolition excavator. The excavator weighs 90 tons and can work at heights of up to 40m. As part of the project, Connell Brothers have already demolished the former Four in Hand public house.
Since 2001 as part of the ongoing regeneration of the Hattersley Estate, Connell Brothers have carried out the demolition of over 500 houses and buildings throughout the area making way for the construction of modern housing and local amenities.
The regeneration programme has brought new facilities including the Hub Community Centre, Hattersley Library, a Tesco Superstore and council offices. In addition, Barratts have sold more than 260 new homes in Hattersley and their large scale development programme will total in excess of 800 new homes completely changing the tenure mix in the area.
The work is being carried out close to residential properties and the busy Hattersley Road East, and will be carefully carried out by Connell Brothers, the Manchester-based demolition, dismantling and asbestos removal contractor, working for Chartered Quantity Surveyors Simon Fenton Partnership, in a project for Peak Valley Housing Association (PVHA), part of Symphony Housing Group.
Each phase of the project has been planned and co-ordinated by both Peak Valley Housing Association and Connell Brothers to ensure minimal disruption to the local residents. The firm has been instrumental over the last 15 years in clearing the way for the extensive transformation of the Hattersley Estate. In 2001 Connell Brothers successfully demolished seven tower blocks, still the largest ever demolition project awarded by the City of Manchester, the authority for the city’s overspill estate in the borough of Tameside.
The tower blocks were demolished employing varying methods of demolition. One block was deconstructed floor by floor, and four blocks demolished using explosives, the largest simultaneous explosive demolition to be ever carried out in the UK, with 1,200 residents evacuated from 405 properties. The remaining two blocks were demolished using a specialist high reach demolition excavator – the same process being used to demolish the final block, Tameside Court.
Connell Brothers’ Director Barry Connell said: “We have a long relationship with Hattersley and are proud to be playing our part in the impressive regeneration of the area. We have a strong and positive partnership with Peak Valley Housing Association and Simon Fenton Partnership which has proved hugely beneficial to local residents.”
Phil Corris, Managing Director, Peak Valley Housing Association: “The demolition of the last tower block and attached former public house marks another historic milestone in the rebirth of the area as a place where people want to live. This will make way for the redevelopment of the old district centre with new homes for rent and sale.
“Construction of new homes on the site is programmed to start later this year. This hugely successful regeneration project is a fine example of what can be achieved through close partnership working and could not have been possible without the support of Tameside Council and the local community.”
