Morecambe's Polo Tower demolition leaves permanent hole in the horizon

Morecambe's Polo Tower has gone for good and has left a hole in Morecambe's skyline.
Morecambe's Polo Tower has now been totally dismantled. Picture by Trina Lawrie.Morecambe's Polo Tower has now been totally dismantled. Picture by Trina Lawrie.
Morecambe's Polo Tower has now been totally dismantled. Picture by Trina Lawrie.

The 168 foot tower was demolished in just three and a half days and has now been sent for scrap.

A small team of contractors, including men from ADM Regeneration and Demolition, MAP Engineering and 3D Scaffolding Ltd worked solidly to take the tower piece by piece to the ground.

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Site manager Neil Roberts said: “The dismantling went exactly according to plan and we were extremely lucky with the weather, if anything it was a bit too hot!

Morecambe's Polo Tower has now been totally dismantled. Picture by Trina Lawrie.Morecambe's Polo Tower has now been totally dismantled. Picture by Trina Lawrie.
Morecambe's Polo Tower has now been totally dismantled. Picture by Trina Lawrie.

“It was a complicated little job in a tight area.

“MAP Engineering were spot on and 3D did the scaffolding. All in all it took three and a half days. We were hoping for three days.

“All the sections have gone on the articulated lorries to the docks ready to be sent off to auction.

“A boat of scrap might go to Turkey or China, but we have no control over that.

Morecambe's Polo Tower has now been totally dismantled. Picture by Trina Lawrie.Morecambe's Polo Tower has now been totally dismantled. Picture by Trina Lawrie.
Morecambe's Polo Tower has now been totally dismantled. Picture by Trina Lawrie.
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“Chatting to people, 50% of people are a bit disappointed that it went and 50% are glad it went.

“The feeling is that the Polo Tower was delaying the planned shopping development, so hopefully this development will happen now.

“If a retail development doesn’t take off, it would be a good site for 500 to 600 homes that would bring income back into Morecambe, which is what it needs.”

ADM Regeneration and Demolition are now moving on to their next project for Mulberry Homes in Caton, at a former petrol station and lorry park.

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Neil said: “It’s a bit of contamination and demolition work to prepare it for housing which will take 14 weeks.”

Work to dismantle the Polo Tower was due to start on Monday, June 12 but was delayed due to high winds.

Demolition started on Monday, June 19 and finished three and half days later.

Developers Opus North have obtained planning permission and have continued to pledge support for a £17m retail park on the former Frontierland site but have remained tight-lipped about which businesses have signed on the dotted line to open there.

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In May it was announced that Premier Inn pulled out of the Bay Shopping Park project last September meaning a planned 60-bedroom hotel and pub-restaurant will not be built on the site of the former Ranch House.

A spokesman for Premier Inn said the chain would “continue to consider locations in Morecambe as and when the right site becomes available.”

Marks and Spencer have shown an interest in opening a foodhall at the park and planning permission has been given.

But the shopping giant has not confirmed it will open a store on the site.

Planning permission was granted for the new shopping park, to include shops, restaurants and more than 300 car parking spaces, in November 2014.

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