Fire and asbestos complicate factory demolition

The company that owns the former shoe factory wants to turn it into homes

Fire damage, asbestos, and the location of a derelict shoe factory have created "significant demolition challenges", experts said.

Crews from more than a dozen stations tackled January's blaze at the former Van-Dal shoe factory on Dibden Road in Norwich.

Managing director of Anglian Demolition Lee Storer said there was "no rule book" about how to dismantle a site like this.

He praised local residents for their patience and confirmed the team remained on track to complete the demolition in two weeks' time.

The fire took between three and four hours to bring under control

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze damaged up to 75% of the building and took between three and four hours to bring under control.

Demolition of the site was under way, and Mr Storer said it was a challenging job due to the location being in a tight residential street.

He said local residents had been fantastic and appreciated "the complexities of the job".

Anglian Demolition managing director Lee Storer called it a "unique demolition challenge"

As well as the location, he said the job was challenging due to structural damage caused by the fire and the dangerous building materials used in its construction.

Norwich City Council said at the time of the fire, the site contained asbestos and it was arranging for tests to be carried out.

"You have got to try to predict what the building's going to do under those sorts of conditions," Mr Storer said.

"There is no rule book for it because the damage is quite extensive in the structure of the building.

"If you're pulling one part of the building down, you have to consider how it affects the next part."

Norfolk Police has since dropped its investigation into the fire.

Firefighters attended a blaze at the same location in 2024.

The site is owned by Flagship Homes. Managing director Tony Tann said he wanted to create affordable properties that Norwich "urgently needs".

"This is about creating homes, communities and places where people can thrive," he said.

The closure of the facility, Norwich's last remaining shoe factory, was announced in 2018.

Residents were urged to keep their windows and doors closed during the fire