Public warned to observe lockdown and stay away when former police station tower gets blown up

Wrexham’s familiar skyline will change forever from the start of November when the former police station tower is removed.

The tower will brought down using a controlled explosion by Total Demolition Services at 8.30 am on Sunday 1 November – which will be during the lockdown period.

The moment of demolition will be well documented and interested members of the public are asked to stay away, with it not being seen as a reasonable excuse to be out and about.

However the whole of the demolition is also being filmed for the Scrap Kings show on Quest (Discovery Channel) which will be shown next summer.

Glass has been removed from the tower and strategically placed holes have been created in the tower over the last few days with plastic coverings now in place:

As part of the demolition road closures will be in effect from 07:30am to 09:30am to and motorists and pedestrians are advised to avoid the area during these times.

Roads closed are: Park Avenue and traffic going up Park Avenue towards the former station will be diverted along Penymaes Avenue. Powell Road from Tesco to Chester Road roundabout. Chester Road roundabout – Chester Street as far as the Fusiliers.

A spokesperson for Wrexham Council, said: “Residents in the area have been informed of what will be happening and of the necessary road closures that will be in place for the explosion.

“We know many of you would love to witness this historic event but due to the current fire break restrictions we’re asking you to stay away it will be recorded and shared on media so we’ll all be able to see how it went”

Gavin Nicolas, Development Manager with Total Demolition Services said: “We are very experienced in demolishing buildings in the UK and Europe and the safety of all those involved and who live and work nearby is our paramount concern.

“These types of events are always very popular but we are asking that people stay away from this particular one in order to control the spread of Covid and ensure everyone remains safe.”

The formal application to knock the tower down was lodged back in 2014 and renewed in 2016, with the removal back then not mentioning explosive removal rather ‘mechanical and electrical demolition’ after a ‘soft strip’ of the interior. Until recently all questions around explosive removal had been batted away, however rumours had surfaced recently as nearby residents and businesses were informed.

The site will be cleared and then handed over to developers who will build a new supermarket and drive-thru coffee retail unit on the site.

In May 2019 Wrexham’s new town centre police station opened, and in November 2018 the large Llay Police HQ also opened.