Demolition of cracked, overgrown and dilapidated Blackfriars End given green light

Pictures show the current state of the Blackfriars End. Picture: Barnsley Marshall/Herefordshire Council

The demolition of the Blackfriars End has been given the green light by Herefordshire Council planners.

Herefordshire Council had asked for permission from its planners to demolish the dilapidated stand, groundsman store, toilets, United in the Community building, entrance stalls and the redundant former Blackfriars public toilets.

In drawings submitted with plans, the iconic floodlight pylons will be retained for the time being.

Documents also said the stand and buildings are not safe to use and beyond economical repair. It is part of the council's masterplan to redevelop the site, incorporating accommodation for students, as well as a stand for the club's 'basic needs'.

Work is set to take place this summer. The expected start date is June 3 and work should be finished by August 30, according to the application. Separately, the council is currently looking for a contractor.

Now the council's planning department has approved the method of the proposed demolition and restoration of the site as per the details submitted.

Planning officer Elsie Morgan said in her report that the demolition is not urgently necessary in the interests of safety or health but the scheme is compliant with the relevant criteria.

The method of demolition and restoration of the site have been appropriately explained and justified to the satisfaction of the local planning authority, she said.

READ MORE: Pictures show what new Blackfriars End stand and student homes could be like

Asbestos will need to be removed by a licensed contractor and the site cleared and levelled, including the toilets at the rear of the terrace used by Blocks C and D.

The existing boundary wall and access gates off Blackfriars Street and Edgar Street will remain, and the council hopes to recycle more than 95 per cent of all waste.

A temporary hoarding will be built to segregate from the rest of the football ground, but existing emergency vehicle access to the football pitch from Blackfriars Street will be maintained. The water tanks used for the pitch's sprinkler system should also be retained.

Pictures submitted with the application also show the extent of the cracked terrace of the Blackfriars End, as well as various walls around the stand. Areas are also overgrown, with other walls leaning.

It is not included in the current lease and has not been used as a stand in the eight years since the club reformed.