High winds halt Station Hotel demolition progress as north section judgement begins

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Council chiefs have admitted that high winds have affected progress on the Station Hotel demolition.Cranes have been pulled back from the site throughout the past few weeks as severe storms battered Ayr.Officials say the wind speeds have been "above the safe threshold" for cranes to operate, with teams instead focusing on removing debris and material from the now flattened southern section.Bosses have also revealed that specialist crews are running the rule over the last standing, northern section, of the Victorian relic.The northern section survived the full force of the devastating inferno last September which has led teams taking a wrecking ball to the crumbling gable end and southern section.The historic walls have been pulled down piece-by-piece with huge cranes towering over the iconic hotel to carry out the work.

Officials say an assessment is now being carried out of the tower and the northern section to determine the extent of future safety works.Despite delays, chiefs still expect the southern section work to be completed around mid March.A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: "The recent weather conditions have affected progress on site.

The wind speeds have been above the safe threshold for the cranes to operate, so the contractor has been working to remove the debris and material from the south end of the site."We still expect that works on this section will continue until around mid-March.

Assessment of the tower and the northern section have begun to assess the condition and determine the extent of safety works necessary to this area."We are continuing to liaise with stakeholders and partners throughout the safety works, and we’ll keep you informed when more information becomes available." Read next: