Demolition starts at Orb steelworks (From South Wales Argus)

Demolition starts at Orb steelworks

5:20pm Monday 22nd June 2009

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PART of one of Newport's major industrial landmarks, which in its heyday employed thousands of city workers, is being levelled to make way for a housing development of around 550 homes.

The demolition of parts of the former Orb Steelworks, off Corporation Road, is well under way and is on schedule to be completed by October.

It is expected that developers Taylor Wimpey South Wales will build just over 300 houses with up to four bedrooms, and 162 one and two-bedroomed apartments on a 22-acre site.

There will also be an affordable housing project comprising 60 one- and two-bedroomed apartments and 23 two- and three-bedroomed homes.

Orb Electrical Steels was set up in 1898 on the site of a former pig farm. At its height the Orb site was the workplace of more than 3,000 people.

Though the whole steelworks site covers an area of 74 acres (30 hectares), it is just the north eastern section which is being redeveloped.

The preparations involve the demolition of 21 buildings, which include the training centre, the gym, the old gate office, several blocks of offices, the conference and medical centres, and an old air raid shelter.

A major part of the demolition project will involve the safe removal of large amounts of asbestos.

It is also planned that, where appropriate, waste materials created by the demolition process will be crushed and re-used in the new development.

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