ENGINEERS are planning to pull down an old warehouse to enable the latest phase of flood defence works in Radcliffe and Redvales to progress.

Much of the first phase of the Environment Agency scheme, being undertaken by Mott McDonald, around Close Park and Dumers Lane, has been advanced.

And some parts of the second phase, focusing on York Street, Redvales Business Park, Bury Point, Keswick Drive, Warth Business Park and Lower Hinds, are now underway.

The latest plans are for the demolition of a York Street warehouse to provide improved access to the River Irwell for larger plant machinery.

Planning agent Joseph Holden said: "It is required to demolish the existing warehouse unit, which has a floor area of 211m2.

"The demolition is required to enable construction teams to bring heavy plant and machinery to the river edge, necessary to construct the flood defence structure at this site.

"Upon completion of the flood defence infrastructure, the warehouse unit will be rebuilt to exact specification of that existing."

Under the current plans, due to the age of the existing warehouse, there are no proposals to reuse any of the material which form part of the existing structure.

Metalwork and brickwork resulting from the demolition will be transported off site and recycled, say the scheme's backers.

Mr Holden added: "This planning application forms part of the wider Radcliffe and Redvales Flood Risk Management Scheme but is not a flood defence proposal.

"Whilst there will be temporary adverse impacts during the demolition and reconstruction, these can be monitored and reduced where possible by best practice and mitigation measures."