Demolish buildings, says town council (From Gazette Series)

Demolish buildings, says town council

DURSLEY Town Council is demanding a string of arson attacks at a site in the town should cease with demolition of derelict buildings.

The former Bymacks works in Long Street has been a target for vandals since the factory closed early last year.

DevelopersCrest Nicholson owns the site but has not yet managed to agree a plan build anything there.

As a consequence it has not demolished the old factory units, leaving them exposed to attacks of arson and vandalism.

At Tuesday's meeting councillors voted to write to Crest and Stroud District Council pressing for the buildings to be secured in the short term and to comwe down as soon as possible.

Last month a Crest spokeswoman said that the developers could not knock the units down because they did not have planning permission.

But Town Mayor Cllr Timothy Frankau, who is on the district council's development control committee that assessed Crest's application last November, said that demolition could go ahead.

He said: "Crest's reasons for not demolishing were spurious. Aside from the main application there is a consent for demolition."

Cllr Jim Froggatt said he had been in contact with planning officers and had been told there was no reason why Crest could not demolish the derelict buildings.

He said: "I have spoken to the district council and they say Crest can knock down all the buildings except for the one that fronts onto Long Street.

"If they try to wait until they are ready to build their development, we could be waiting for another 18 months or two years."