Redrow acquired the site in March 2018 with outline planning permission to deliver up to 220 new homes, and has been working with Barrington Parish Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council to develop detailed proposals for the site.
(Image removed)The chimney blow-down is part of a wider programme of demolition works being carried out by demolition contractors Erith at the former cement works to make way for the new homes. The homes will be set within areas of public open space and include new parkland and pedestrian and cycle routes to Barrington village and Foxton station.
Together with Friends of Barrington School, a raffle was organised for one lucky person to press the demolish button. The winner, announced on Saturday night, will be invited onto site next Thursday.
Chris Gatland, Head of Planning at Redrow Eastern, commented, “The cement works has had strong ties with the local community and the blow-down event is a fitting tribute. The chimney has fallen into a state of disrepair since the cement factory’s closure in 2008, so it is necessary to demolish the structure for the site to be redeveloped. We have been working hard to develop our proposals for the site, which will bring 220 new homes to the area, of which 40% will be affordable, along with new open space for the whole community to enjoy and pedestrian and cycle routes to the surrounding area.”
Andy Dyson, Industrial Demolition Manager at Erith, commented, “The event on 20th December is a very important date in the community calendar and we look forward to executing the controlled demolition. Less than 1% of buildings and structures in the UK are demolished in this way today and it is fantastic to be a part of such a great team carrying out this demolition work at Barrington.”
Haslingfield Road, running adjacent to the site, will be closed from the morning of 20th December and is due to re-open on 21st December. Access to the site will be through a police cordon and by invitation only to ensure numbers on site are carefully managed, those on site are reminded to be aware of their surroundings and listen to onsite staff at all times.
Redrow and Barrington Parish Council has identified the footpath towards Wilsmere Down Farm as an area where the chimney blow-down will be safely viewable for local residents. The local community is asked to avoid bringing cars into the immediate area. The demolition is scheduled to take place at 9am, though the exact timings are subject to change depending on weather conditions.
Site background
- The cement works and quarry were established in 1918
- The Barrington Light Railway, which connects to Foxton station and the mainline railway between London and Cambridge was opened in 1927
- Barrington quarry provided chalk and clay to enable the manufacturing of cement
- The cement factory was extended throughout the 20th century
- In 2008 the site was closed and partly decommissioned by 2012
- Cemex submitted an application in October 2014 for outline planning permission to deliver up to 220 new homes, formal and informal open space including allotments, and new pedestrian and cycle links to Barrington Village and Foxton Station
- Redrow acquired the site in March 2018
- A reserved matters application for the delivery of 220 dwellings was submitted by Redrow to South Cambridgeshire District Council in September 2018. The reserved matters application seeks approval of appearance, landscaping, layout and scale. The outline consent included detailed access proposals.
Redrow was established in 1974 by Steve Morgan CBE with a £5,000 loan from his father and today it is one of the most successful and acclaimed property developers in the country. For the year ended 30th June 2018, Redrow built over 5,900 premium family homes across England and Wales and in October 2018 the company completed its 100,000th home. Over Redrow’s history, spanning more than 40 years, it has earned a unique reputation for quality and building beautiful homes where people want to live. To help achieve this, Redrow has developed three sustainable business themes: Creating Thriving Communities by Building Responsibly and Valuing People. Implementing this strategy, whilst engaging with colleagues and stakeholders, helps Redrow deliver significant value to investors and the wider community. Redrow is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index. For the year ended 30th June 2018, the Group reported record revenues of £1.92 billion. Redrow has twice won ‘Gold,’ and been in the top three every year for the last four years in the ‘Best Large Housebuilder’ category at the What House? Awards. This year, Redrow was named as a UK Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer for the fifth consecutive year. Visit redrow.co.uk for more details.