Authorities alerted to dangers of former Flexibox premises

A VIGILANT Ballymena Councillor has taken action to keep children and other potential trespassers out of a badly vandalised vacant factory in the heart of Harryville.

Originally established in Ballymena in 1957, John Crane Flexibox employed around 150 at its height in the manufacture of engineered sealing systems used in the process, marine and oil recovery industries worldwide.

Closed down a few years ago, the factory building now lies vacant. However, last week, Ballymena South Councillor, Alderman Martin Clarke, spotted a side gate unlocked.

Accompanied by police officers and members of the Harryville Partnership, he entered the site and factory last Thursday morning and was stunned by the sight that greeted them.

“I’ve never seen vandalism like it,” he told The Ballymena Times.

“The whole building is a shambles. All the offices have been ransacked and the factory floor has been wrecked. Any valuable stuff like piping is all gone. Everything has been either taken away or destroyed”.

Cllr Clarke said his first concern was that children had been able to gain access.

“I have no doubt that youngsters have been getting in and that is what worries me because the factory is now in a very dangerous state with glass and debris everywhere,” he said.

The Councillor called in the expertise of Ballymena Borough Council’s Environmental Health Department.

“They have now looked at it and will find out who the owners are so that council can serve a notice on them to have the building boarded up,” said Cllr Clarke who added that Building Control had also been called in to inspect the premises.

“I know that a developer has bought the site because it came before a Council planning meeting and was passed by the Planners for retail and apartments but as far as I remember there was a problem with contamination of the ground. That, coupled with the economic situation is probably the reason that it has been left lying so long,” he said.

The Councillor has also flagged up the similarly vandalised state of an adjacent property with the relevant authorities having been alerted to it by the Harryville Partnership.

“These premises have been totally wrecked too, even the front shutters have been removed,” said Cllr Clarke.

“Once again, Environmental Health and Building Control have been called in and they are trying to contact the owners.

“However, Council can’t wait for long on something like this where safety is a concern and are willing to board it up and bill the owners later,” said Cllr Clarke.

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