An excavator has started work on the Corn Exchange site in Peterborough to demolish the building.

The demolition, which began yesterday, marks a significant step in the works to breathe new life into the city centre. Connell Brothers, an award-winning Salford-based specialist demolition company, has been employed by Peterborough City Council to carry out the work. City-based consulting engineers, Stirling Maynard, have been engaged to project manage the demolition.

The excavator has a hydraulic breaker on its arm which is used to crush concrete and during this first phase of the demolition, the focus will be on breaking down the front corner of the former Post Office. This work is expected to take about a week.

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During the second phase of demolition work, scaffolding will be put up on the building's main tower, and a breaker unit will be craned onto the roof which will break down the building floor by floor. The excavator with hydraulic crusher will be used to complete the final phase of the demolition. By mid-November 2009, the Corn Exchange building will be completely demolished.

Andrew Edwards, the City Council's Head of Strategic Property, said: "Demolishing the Corn Exchange building is a key element of the work currently being carried out to regenerate the city centre, and is in fact happening a week ahead of schedule.

"The location of the Corn Exchange building means this is a technically challenging demolition in the heart of Peterborough. Of greatest importance is that the work takes place with minimum disruption to surrounding businesses and that it is done in a safe manner."

A new square will be created on the Corn Exchange site - to be named St John's Square - with the area between the new square and Cathedral Square paved to make it more pedestrian-friendly.

(CD/GK)