The demolition of the historic Watling Gate building in Timperley is set to begin next week, bringing to an end years of uncertainty over the future of the Grade II-listed property.
Trafford Council has confirmed that demolition contractor P. McGuinness will take control of the Newton Park site from Monday 20 July, with the work expected to take around 12 weeks. The building will be demolished in stages in accordance with the approved demolition method statement.
The council says it will continue to work closely with the contractor throughout the project and will also notify nearby Park Road Academy Primary School before work begins.
The latest development comes just days after Trafford Council discharged another planning condition relating to the salvage of historic features from the building.
Under the approved plans, significant architectural features including fireplaces, timber framing, stained glass and the timber verandah will be identified, recorded, labelled and stored wherever they can be safely recovered before demolition proceeds.
Archaeological surveys carried out earlier this year underline why the council says demolition has become unavoidable.
Inspectors found the north wall had already collapsed, with much of the roof and floors missing. Because of the unstable structure and the presence of asbestos, the building could not be entered safely and had to be inspected from a cherry picker.
Watling Gate was built in 1904 as the home of Colonel Charles Edward Newton before being left to Altrincham Borough Council after his death in 1937. It later served as a museum, art gallery and children's nursery before closing in 2003.
The building has remained empty ever since, with its condition deteriorating to the point where Trafford Council said earlier this year it posed a danger and required urgent action.
West Timperley councillor Ulrich Stephane Savary said the demolition marked a "really sad" moment for the area.
"Since being elected in May 2024, I have worked alongside volunteers and residents to try to find a future for the Watling Gate. But by then, years of neglect had already taken their toll.
"The gate was closed in 2002 and then simply left to rot - first under the Conservatives and then under Trafford’s Labour-run council. Since 2021 alone, the council has spent more than £12,000 on fencing around the site, and that waste of taxpayers’ money would have continued had I not pushed for it to stop.
"Residents have every right to feel let down. They have lost a valuable community space and have been left to deal with the consequences - from anti-social behaviour to a building now at risk of collapse.
"It is a shambles, and yet more evidence that both the Conservatives and Labour have failed Trafford’s residents.
"Together with my colleague Barbara Gerard and local residents, I am now pushing the council to return the land to Newton Park, so we can turn this neglected site back into something the whole community can be proud of."
