Sugar beet plant is slowly demolished

People in a rural Shropshire community are witnessing massive changes to their skyline as contractors move in to dismantle a sugar beet processing plant.

Work to demolish the British Sugar plant, at Allscott, has been ongoing as part of a 32-week programme to revamp the site. Contractors are currently demolishing processing buildings and pipes in the latest phase of their redevelopment scheme.

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The road outside the plant was closed last week to allow engineers to tear down the pipes which once spanned it.

While no date has been fixed for the demolition of the site's three distinctive towers, because they are still used to store sugar beet, Richard Ali, British Sugar spokesman, said a crane was expected to pull down the concrete buildings in coming weeks.

"None of the high structures are coming down just yet, but they have been taking down pipe works over the last couple of weeks," he said.

The sight of the three towers and the famous sugar beet aroma, which could be smelled for miles around, had made the plant one of the most recognised pieces of Shropshire's agricultural and industrial heritage.

Andrew Cunningham, 34, who lives nearby, said: "Recently they have been working on a daily basis and there are piles of rubble, steel and concrete appearing.

"All you can hear in the mornings is the sound of them working away."

He said there was quite a few tonnes of rubble visible at the scene.

"I have always lived in the area and I miss the smell of the sugar beet every winter," he said.

Contractors have already used specialist equipment resembling giant scissors to chop away two giant metal juice tanks following the closure of the factory early last year, with the loss of more than 110 jobs.

British Sugar has yet to decide on a future for the 350-acre site, but one proposal is to develop it into a "mini town".

Last November, a report by Government inspectors, following a public inquiry, said careful thought and consultation was needed before a decision was made.

The proposal, which was for about 800 homes, shops and a new railway station, is likely to be left on the back-burner while planners consider.

By Tom Johannsen

nextpageThe building's three distinctive towers are still standing.

Contractors are currently demolishing processing buildings and pipes.

The road outside the plant was closed last week to allow engineers to tear down the pipes which once spanned it.

British Sugar has yet to decide on a future for the 350-acre site, but one proposal is to develop it into a "mini town".