Shrewsbury Flax Mill regeneration moves forward
Work to regenerate the Ditherington Flax Mill Maltings site in Shrewsbury is moving forward, the north silo on the site is set to be demolished next week.
The demolition is to begin on Monday and is expected to take four weeks to complete and will clear this part of the site ready for possible future development as part of the Flax Mill Maltings ‘Masterplan’.
Built in the early 1960s, the North Silo is a reinforced concrete structure that was built to provide new and improved storage for the malt leaving the Maltings facility. It was located close to the adjacent railway siding to make it easier to transport the malt from the site.
The north Silo hasn’t been used since the Maltings closed in the late 1980s. With extensive damage caused by vandalism and arson, the structure is beyond any form of cost-effective repair.
The removal of the North Silo will also improve the skyline of the listed buildings on the Flax Mill Maltings site when viewed from the north.
The demolition work is being carried out by EMS Services Ltd who recently took down the former Arriva bus depot, Midland Red Social Club, and Rexel Senate building on the same site. They will use a long-reach excavator to dismantle the silo from top to bottom.
Alan Mosley, Shropshire Councillor for Castlefields and Ditherington, and Chair of the Friends of the Flaxmill Maltings, said:
“I am delighted that this demolition is going ahead as evidence of more significant progress at the site. The previous demolition was undertaken very professionally with minimal disruption for residents. I’m confident that this will be repeated and will further enhance the area and views of the historic site.”
