Express & Star

Demolition of Marston's gets underway

Work is underway to tear down Wolverhampton's landmark Marston's building in preparation for a multi-million pound rebuild.

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The firm's Chapel Ash home, which has served as its Black Country headquarters since the 1960s, is being bulldozed as the first stage of a revamp that is set to last 11 months.

Over the next few weeks the central core of the building will be demolished and cleared to make way for the new development.

The four-storey office block has become synonymous with Wolverhampton over the years and is one of the first sights visitors see when the enter the city from the west.

But company bosses believe the fresh modern surroundings will ensure the Marston's place in Wolverhampton for 'years to come'.

Contractor Carter Lauren has been appointed to carry out the extensive project.

Up to 500 of the firm's employees are currently housed in temporary accommodation at nearby Coniston House and are set to move into the new Marston's House in February 2016.

Ralph Findlay, chief executive of the beer and pubs group, said: "The start of construction marks a new phase of Marston's House and also signifies a crucial step in future-proofing our place as one of the country's leading pub retailers and brewers.

"We take our role as a prominent local employer seriously; we have a diverse workforce and the changing face of Marston's House will ensure that working for Marston's remains an exciting career proposition for anyone."

Coniston House was home of the Wolverhampton Patient Care Trust (PCT) until it was abolished in 2013. It was replaced by Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group which is based at Wolverhampton Science Park.

The office workers are part of the company's 1,100-strong workforce at Chapel Ash, where Marston's brews ales including Banks's and runs its fleet of dray lorries supplying its 1,700 pubs around the UK.

The work marks the latest in a raft of developments that is breathing new life into the Chapel Ash area of the city.

A £60m Sainsbury's opened last year, the former Charles Clark site is being transformed into apartments and shops in a £4m scheme, while the iconic Attwood building has also been transformed into new apartments.

The firm posted encouraging trading figures at the start of this year, with two per cent growth in food and drink sales over the same 16 week period to January 24.

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