THE demolition of one of Yate’s oldest factories is due to get underway.

Housing developer Terramond has submitted prior notification to South Gloucestershire Council to flatten the Coopers Works factory on Westerleigh Road.

The company already has planning permission to build 70 homes on land next to the factory and in March, the Gazette exclusively revealed it was considering building more houses and commercial units on the rest of the 12-acre site after animal feed storage manufacturers Brice-Baker Engineering announced it was vacating the factory. The firm said it had not yet decided any details of the extra development and will hold a public consultation later this year. In the meantime, Terramond want to demolish the 1930s factory which was built during Yate’s emergence as an industrial area.

Town councillor Chris Willmore said: "We can’t stop them demolishing it.

"But we are worried about noise and dust in relation to the old people’s accommodation including the houses and Stanshawes Nursing Home which adjoin the site.

"We will be asking for conditions to be put in place to protect residents from noise and dust."

Lin Kendal, of St Briavel’s Drive, has held extensive talks with Terramond and said she was happy with the development as long as a two-acre lake to the rear of the site remains in tact.

"There will be extra traffic on Westerleigh Road with more houses and that will clog up the B&Q roundabout," she said. "But the site is not overlooking people too much.

"I would like a wall to remain in place around the lake though as it is very deep and I can just imagine people going up there and partying otherwise."