Residents left feeling 'vulnerable' as demolition of Irthlingborough Whitworths factory causing debris to drop into their gardens
Residents of Windmill Road, Irthlingborough have lodged ‘several complaints’ to Whitworths, claiming that debris from the current building site has been falling into their gardens, causing serious safety concerns.
John Noble of Windmill Road says he has had to contend with debris from the building site showering his garden which adjoins the old Whitworths HQ in the town.
In some instances, it has caused the destruction of boundary fences and has become a major concern as John’s neighbour, George, was ‘inches’ from being hit by flying debris.
They believe the material is asbestos, however Whitworths would not confirm this.
John said: "There’s no scaffolding up, no safety net, nothing.”
He said that three weeks ago his neighbour was clearing his garden,and a lump of what he believed to be asbestos ‘about a metre square’ dropped and missed him by inches.
John added: "If that would have hit him, that would have killed him. As soon as that building came down, I felt vulnerable."
An application was submitted to East Northants District Council (amalgamated into North Northants Council in April 2021) in December 2020 detailing the demolition of Whitworths HQ in Wellingborough Road, Irthlingborough.
The plans indicate that a 2.1 metre wall will remain to section off nearby resident’s gardens, which plans state is ‘of an appropriate height an (sic) appearance for a boundary wall and is considered acceptable.’
It goes on to say: “The retention of a 2.1m wall would be as tall if not taller than the majority of residential boundary treatments and would not allow anyone working externally to look into the gardens. It is considered that the height of this wall is acceptable in privacy terms.”
However, as the wall would be retained from the existing building, questions have been raised by residents about how the work will be carried out as the wall directly forms the boundary at the bottom of their garden and they don’t know how this can be completed without significant disruption.
In John’s instance, he has a growing trellis on the wall which forms part of his garden.
George Chapman, John’s immediate neighbour, also admits to feeling unsafe in his garden. His son Paul alongside Paul’s wife, Lisa, have expressed frustration at the works and the disruption it has caused to surrounding residents, including her father-in-law.
John noted that one such instance had caused the boundary fence between his home and neighbour George’s to collapse.
As the works continues to demolish the old building to the east of the site, residents say the corrugated roof panels have dislodged and some have fallen into their gardens. This is particularly pressing for the residents as there are fears this will only worsen into the winter months.
Lisa said: “The dust in your bungalows is unbelievable.
“Nothing has been done. It’s no laughing matter, it’s serious, especially when the bricks come down.
“My father-in-law should feel safe. Now that he’s more vulnerable being widowed, especially if you’re on your own, you should be able to feel safe but to me, George doesn’t feel safe anymore.
“It wouldn’t have been so bad if they’d put something up straight away or a week after but they haven’t, it’s just all exposed.”
In response to the claims from residents of Windmill Road, a Whitworths spokesman told the Northants Telegraph: “A contractor has been appointed to process the demolition of the eastern buildings following increased investment in our site.
"We take health and safety incredibly seriously at Whitworths and as such, ensured the Health and Safety Executive confirmed all works complied with regulations and that any structures during the ongoing demolition process have been additionally supported using specific props specified by the structural engineering contractor.
"We understand that any demolition work can be disruptive, particularly on sites that have been a staple of the local community for decades.
"We will continue to communicate directly with our neighbours and ensure these works are completed safely and to all required regulations, so we can continue to invest in the Whitworths site to improve our manufacturing capability and create more job opportunities for the local area.”