Salford City Council is set to pay £429,000 to demolish an office block it bought last year for £2.5 million, as part of a major regeneration of Eccles town centre.
Charles House, described as worse-for-wear, was due to be bulldozed last year, but the work was delayed after the council struggled to secure vacant possession of the building. A telecommunications firm operating from the top of the building is now due to vacate the property at the end of its lease in November, after which the structure will be flattened.
Contract approved at procurement meeting
The £429,000 contract with Connell Brothers Ltd was recommended for approval at a Procurement meeting on Monday, September 21. Connell Brothers carried out demolition and prep works in Eccles in March last year, but was unable to knock down Charles House as planned because the telecoms firm refused to move.
The delay has led to the loss of the cost benefit of carrying out the works in one go, but Connell Brothers has agreed to keep its original contract price.
Council welcomes decision
Speaking at the meeting, councillor Mike McCusker, Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Planning, Transport, Sustainable Development and Regeneration at Salford City Council, said: “I really welcome this decision. It was frustrating we couldn’t get the telecommunications company out of the roof in time, but I’m happy to hear Connell Brothers are sticking to their original prices.”
In a statement, he added: “The demolition of Charles House will mark another significant and visible step forward in the regeneration of Eccles town centre. The site is an important part of the wider Eccles masterplan and, alongside the work already taking place across the town centre, we are continuing to make real progress towards creating a revitalised Eccles for residents, businesses and visitors.”
Broader regeneration plans
The town has seen a decline in recent years, with a growing number of vacant shopfronts and a drop in footfall. New plans tabled by developer Muse would see parts of the failing shopping centre replaced by almost 1,300 new homes, a community hub on Vicarage Walk, and improved green spaces and shopfronts. The designs were made in conversation with the local community, according to the developer. The aim is to regenerate the town’s high street by 2042.
