HIGH-rise tower blocks which have dominated the Rugby skyline for 50 years will soon start to shrink.
Work to clear the Biart Place site ahead of a major regeneration project looks set to start by the end of the month.
Rugby Borough Council (RBC) has appointed Manchester-based company O’Gara to dismantle the tower blocks and apartment block on the site, and demolish the garages.
The council has now secured prior approval for the deconstruction project and O’Gara is due to move on to the site by the end of January.
The project, which is scheduled to take up to a year, will begin with O’Gara securing the site and erecting full-height scaffold towers at the blocks, complete with sheeted, flame-retardant covers to reduce both noise and dust.
The firm also intends to use further dust reduction measures throughout the deconstruction process, with both tower blocks being taken down floor by floor.
The approval for the project also includes restrictions to on-site working hours to minimise disruption to nearby residents.
RBC communities and homes spokeswoman Coun Emma Crane said: “This work marks the next step in the council’s ambitious plans to regenerate the Biart Place site and build modern council homes for our tenants and affordable housing for residents.
“While inevitably the work entails generating a degree of noise and dust, we have been assured both can be kept to a minimum to avoid inconvenience to residents.”
Councillors approved plans for the regeneration of the Biart Place site in September 2018 after surveys revealed both tower blocks were ‘beyond economic repair’.
They were found to have been built to a ‘poor standard’ in the late 60s, meaning they may not ‘perform as expected’ in the event of a fire or explosion.
The council estimated it would cost £23million to replace the buildings. The estimated cost of mending them was £20million, but surveys suggest the towers would need to be repaired again in less than 30 years – making the replacement option cheaper in the long term.
The council intends to invite specialist housing development companies to submit design proposals for the site in the coming months.
The three high-rise blocks at Rounds Gardens are also due be dismantled and replaced, at an estimated cost of £28million, also due to poor building standards.
Visit www.rugby.gov.uk/highriseregeneration for more information about the regeneration of Biart Place and Rounds Gardens.
