Kidderminster eyesore Crown House finally demolished
Work to demolish an eyesore Kidderminster town centre building has been completed.
Crown House, off the Bull Ring, has been brought to the ground – after work to begin demolishing it started last summer.
The demolition had proven to be a complex process due to the building being built on a culvert over the River Stour and like many buildings built in the 1960s and 1970s it contained asbestos.
WATCH: Kidderminster's Crown House demolition
The majority of Crown House has been vacant for a number of years – with the last tenant leaving in 2016.
The building had become increasingly unpopular with residents in Kidderminster, as an unsightly town centre landmark and obstacle to redevelopment and regeneration opportunities.
While council bosses develop proposals for the long-term future of the site, it will be turned into a temporary car park after plans were given the green light at the end of 2019.
Wyre Forest District Council took back control of the site on March 30 – after it formally accepted the surrender of the lease which still had 48 years left to run.
The authority is now working on proposals for the site as part of its submission to Government for funding from the Future High Streets Fund Initiative. It is preparing a full business case submission for funds to develop the Crown House site, Bromsgrove Street car park area and the former Magistrates Court and indoor market on Worcester Street.
Councillor Fran Oborski, Wyre Forest District Council's deputy leader and cabinet member for economic regeneration, planning and capital investment, said: "We are delighted Crown House has now been demolished.
“We always believed that the removal of Crown House from the town centre landscape would be a major step forward and we are working hard on proposals for the redevelopment of this site.
"A degree of patience will be required though and it will take some time before we are able to deliver the final vision and in the meantime we want to make use of the space to help people park close to the town and easily access the shops and services that are available.”
