Dorman Long tower to be demolished after losing listed status

The Brutalist-style structure was built in the 1950s to store coal

An industrial tower is set to be demolished overnight after it was stripped of its conservation listing.

Redcar and Cleveland Council revealed plans to flatten the Dorman Long structure on the former Redcar steelworks site a week ago.

Historic England advised it should gain listed status, but this was quashed by new culture secretary Nadine Dories.

People living near the site have been warned there will be a series of controlled explosions from midnight.

The 183ft (56m) Brutalist-style concrete tower sits near the South Bank coke oven battery on the former Redcar SSI steelworks site, which closed in 2015 with the loss of thousands of jobs.

Campaigners against the destruction had argued it was a monument to Teesside's industrial past.

But Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said if it had been allowed to remain, it "would have cost the taxpayer in excess of £9m".

There are major plans to regenerate the former SSI site

Jacob Young, the Conservative MP for Redcar, said while he initially argued for the tower to be retained, key structural failings meant it was no longer sustainable.

He added: "I have asked [developers] to salvage what is possible from the original Dorman Long lettering on the side of the tower and to recreate a replica of the lettering to be used close to the site."

The South Tees Development Corporation said in a statement it would be knocking down what it described as "a number of structures", between 00:00 BST and 00:20 in a series of controlled explosions each lasting about 10 seconds.

The statement added: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused. However it is necessary to carry out the work during this time to ensure there is no disruption to train services on the nearby railway line, which otherwise would have had to be closed during its operational hours.

"This is all part of our redevelopment work to make the site investor-ready so that the major projects that will bring jobs for local people can progress as smoothly and quickly."