Demolition contractors seek to start work on Colchester club
Permission is being sought for demolition contractors to start work on the fire-ravaged site of the Colchester Garrison Officer's Club.
The historic clubhouse, which was made mostly of wood, was all but completely destroyed in a fire on 25 July, with only a few brick walls and chimney stacks left on the St John's Green site.
The owners of the club have now applied to Colchester Council to level the site, with a view to beginning work on a replacement clubhouse as soon as possible.
The detailed application has included the layout of a new, temporary access point to the site, at its south-western corner. The new access will enable the heavy plant required by the contractors to avoid the adjacent Grade I listed St John’s Gatehouse as they leave and enter.
Due to the rich archaeological potential of the site, the owners have also promised that the contractors will not break the surface and leave it intact for future archaeological investigation.
It is located only a few hundred yards from the foundations of Colchester’s Roman chariot racing circus, while the remains of monastery buildings, part of a Roman cemetery and medieval burials, have also been found nearby.
The clubhouse fire is thought to have been caused by smouldering cigarette butts in a holder bolted onto the wall of the building.
