Demolition completed of subsidence-hit Ripon flats

The demolition of a block of four empty Ripon homes stricken by subsidence issues has been completed by a team of experts.

The properties at 1, 3 and 5 Bedern Court and 17 Skellgarths were evacuated in October 2020 after being declared unsafe for habitation.

Bedern Court Ripon prior to demolition

The block was fenced off ready for the start of demolition in early February

Planning permission for their demolition was granted by Harrogate Borough Council in November and Dewsbury-based Hutchinson Demolition & Dismantling Ltd carried out a fortnight of preparatory work before starting to take the block down in early February.

Following successful completion of the task, site manager Ashley Hutchinson, told the Stray Ferret:

“Apart from a couple of days when we couldn’t work because of Storm Otto, everything has run smoothly and to schedule.”

Cherry picker on site at Bedern Court

A cherry picker was used so that the demolition team could remove the roof tiles and timbers and demolish the chimney stacks.

Mr Hutchinson added:

“The work was carried out by our team using hand-held tools for the majority of the demolition tasks, with a rubber tracked excavator brought in for the latter stages.”

Ripon digger at Bedern Court

With the demolition works complete, the final clear up of the site will be carried out over the next couple of days.

Roof tiles, bricks, timber and other materials have been removed for recycling.


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