MP says farewell to historic landmark

Local MP, David Rutley, MP paid a visit to Black Lane’s historic gas holders – before all traces of their existence disappear forever.

David was given a guided tour of the site to see firsthand the work taking place on the structure at Black Lane, before the site is fully cleared later this year ready for future redevelopment.

The iconic structure which has been a local landmark since it was built in 1899 will be removed by Christmas this year with the site expected to be full cleared in January 2017. At its peak, the gasholder provided natural gas to thousands of homes across Macclesfield.

Advances in technology mean gas can now be stored underground, making the gasholders obsolete.  The gasholders were disconnected from the gas network in 2012 and since then, National Grid has been working to take them down to prepare the industrial site for future regeneration. The second gasholder, which was built in 1925 and sits below ground, will soon be filled in.

National Grid’s Community Relations Team are available to answer any questions about the ongoing work and can be reached on Freephone 0808 168 7590 or by emailing nationalgrid@macclesfieldgasholders.com.

Speaking about the work National Grid Project Manager Chris Taylor said: “This has been a complicated project and we are pleased to say we are on track for completing the removal of the gasholder before Christmas. We were delighted to welcome David to the site. He has shown a lot of support for the project. We also want to thank our neighbours for their patience with us while we finish at the site.”

Speaking on his visit to the site, David said: “I am pleased to have been able to see these impressive structures up close and also the thorough work that is going on to safely redevelop the site for the future. I am a keen supporter of redeveloping industrial sites and this work represents a great opportunity to find a new way to make the site work for the whole community.”