Landmark Fawley chimney to be demolished on Sunday

Residents in Lee-on-the-Solent may hear a loud bang tomorrow morning. Chief Correspondent Rob Thomas explains how it will be due to the fall of an iconic ‘tower’.

FAWLEY Power Station chimney is scheduled for demolition tomorrow – Sunday, October 31 – at 7am, weather permitting.

The Solent landmark has been a navigation guide for sailors for more than 50 years and has inspired photographs particularly taken from the east as it stood out against the setting sun – some have even described it as ‘beautiful’.

The chimney will be brought down by a controlled explosion and as reported in The Globe, previous demolitions at the Fawley site have been seen and heard at Lee-on-the-Solent and elsewhere along the south Hampshire coast.

Southampton port operator ABP has issued a notice stating that from 5.30am a temporary exclusion zone will be enforced around the surrounding area which will be marked by sentries and the police.

The owners of the site – Fawley Waterside Limited– are asking people not to travel to the area in order to witness the explosion but to watch the demolition via a live streaming on its website.

The BBC weather forecast for Fawley at 7am tomorrow is not very good with a 55 per cent chance of rain.

It is expected to be the last major explosive event at the site which will eventually become a small town with 1,500 homes, shops, cafés, and space for advanced manufacturing, marine and technology industries.

Photo (top): Fawley Power Station chimney. High Level Photography, reproduced with permission