Richborough Power Station Cooling Towers and Chimney to be Demolished on Sunday 11th March 2012 Perhaps

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Thanet to attract huge crowds of people to view a major event, I would guess that with no publicity and no organisation thousands of people will turn up anyway.

I have tried to find out from the council what they are doing about this event, there is nothing on their website, nothing on the council funded Thanet tourism website.

I can’t even find what time they are going to be demolished, only that the road closure is from 8am. 

Here is the road closure notification:

Temporary Road Closure – A256 Ramsgate Road, Sandwich and Sandwich Road & Richborough Way, Ramsgate – Sunday 11 March 2012

It will be necessary to close sections of the A256 Ramsgate Road, Sandwich and Sandwich Road & Richborough Way, Ramsgate on Sunday 11 March 2012

It is planned the closure will be for up to 1 hour during the morning, sometime from 8.00 am onwards, as signposted on site.

The closure will be in the vicinity of Richborough Port.

It is suggested that drivers should consider alternative routes as long delays are expected in the area on the morning that these works go ahead.

A contingency alternative route will be brought in to use and signposted, if required on the day.

This will be via the A2 to Brenley Corner then via the A299 Thanet Way (to avoid the closure of the A28 in Canterbury, at Sturry Level Crossing).

There will be no access for through traffic between the north junction with A256 Sandwich By-pass and the new Sevenscore Roundabout, whilst the road is closed.

Public Footpath EE42 will be closed where it meets the exclusion zone around the works, as indicated by signs and barriers on site.

The closure is for the safety of the public during demolition works, being carried out by DDS Demolition.

These works are weather dependent, and the timing may be affected by adverse conditions.

If conditions prevent the works going ahead on 11 March, they will be deferred until one of the following two Sundays.

In the usual Alice in Wonderland way of things in Thanet I have now added “perhaps” to the blog title, it seems this isn’t a major event after all.

I would guess if as many people turn up as used to, to watch the Broadstairs fireworks displays, then it may be cancelled on health and safety grounds due to inadequate crowd control. 

Looking at video footage of cooling tower demolition it seems I got the watercolour picture completely wrong too, it should have much more dust and less fire. I would guess I would have to have lessons in how to paint dust with watercolour, perhaps I should try painting with something dryer.