WORK to knock down the former Thwaites brewery in Blackburn town centre will start next month, but the landmark tower will remain until the summer.

Fencing has gone up around the seven acre site as contractors get ready to begin demolition.

Decorative and heritage items have been removed from the historic Star Brewery buildings on Penny Street ready for Manchester-based P P O’Connor to begin knocking it down.

Production of beer at the 210-year-old brewery ended in May after a travellers’ invasion of the site and was transferred to the company’s new home at Sykes Holt, near Mellor Brook in the Ribble Valley.

The buildings on Starkie Street will be the first to come down and the iconic tower, a major feature of Blackburn’s skyline, will be one of the last features to be demolished.

Brewery bosses want to make the site secure and safe and prevent it becoming an eyesore in the town centre.

The company’s directors are currently in talks with Blackburn with Darwen Council over the future of the land.

John Draper, Thwaites estates director, said: “We have finished clearing the inside areas and have carefully removed some of the decorative items fixed to the outside of the buildings. Anything of historical importance or part of our heritage we have kept.

“There was a lot of redundant furniture, so we have been working with local charities to recycle what we can or help with community requests that we received.

“We handed the site over to the contractors at the beginning of December and they have been carrying out interior work.

“They are now progressing to the structural work, starting with the buildings on Starkie Street and the fencing has gone up in preparation of that.

“Work begins next month and the contractors will systematically work their way around the site to demolish the different buildings.

“It will be a while before the tower comes down. It will be coming down bit by bit, as that is the safest way for it to happen.”

Cllr Phil Riley, the council’s regeneration boss, said: “It is what we expected. The company has had planning permission for demolition for two years so it is not a surprise.

“Its demolition, including the tower block, will significantly change the landscape of Blackburn town centre.

“It is an important site and the council is currently in discussions with Thwaites about its future development.”

If the borough council decides to knock down rather than mothball its soon-to-be-redundant Tower Block on top of The Mall, two of the dominating features of Blackburn’s skyline will disappear.

The council wants to see a mixed-use of the seven acres of land with residential, leisure, restaurant and cafe, pubs and bars, and employment as their preferred choices.

Thwaites wish to see the land designated for shops.