A BUILDING which stood at the heart of the town centre for decades before being destroyed by fire is coming down.

Work is now well underway to demolish Northwich Outdoor Market following its devastating blaze six months ago.

Northwich Guardian:

Work is underway to knock the market down

Workers from Cawarden Demolition Ltd began knocking down the rest of the historic building last week, with the work set to go on throughout July.

Cheshire West and Chester Council wants to redevelop the site as part of its Weaver Square regeneration plans.

Northwich Guardian:

Fencing has been put up around the site

The covered market was gutted in the early hours of January 3, when eight crews from across Cheshire tackled the fire at its height.

A small part of the building was knocked down that day to give firefighters easy access to control the fire.

Northwich Guardian:

The market was destroyed by fire in January

Traders were offered to move into Northwich Indoor Market back in January, before the pandemic brought the town to a standstill.

READ > Man arrested after woman rescued from Castle Street embankment

Cllr Richard Beacham, CWAC cabinet member for housing, regeneration and growth, said: "I know how important it is for residents and businesses around Weaver Square that the damaged market building is sensitively cleared as soon as possible. The building's shell is a sad reminder of what happened earlier this year.

Northwich Guardian:

Eight crews dealt with the blaze at its height in January

"During the pandemic the investigations on site have been concluded and with approval from insurers we are able to proceed to the next phase.

"We understand that it has continued to be a stressful time for traders and businesses during the pandemic and we will continue to make progress in supporting Northwich to get back up and running after the lockdown."