Vital maintenance and safety work at Linenhall Street

The work, requested by NIE, will allow access to their live sub-station at the back of the property.

Builders started demolishing the vacant property at 5am on Monday and it is expected to take around a week to complete.

The work by Glebeview Builders in Ballymoney also features vital safety measures including boarding up windows and removing guttering all along Linenhall Street and Charles Street.

Martin Lamont of Glebeview Builders explained: “We have been asked by the property owners to knock down this building so that NIE can get access to an electricity supply at the back.

“Our job is to demolish the building and move the rubbish to the side making a pathway to the sub-station and electricity supply.

“We started at 5am this morning so that most of the demolition work was completed before the town got busy.

“We have also boarded up the windows along Linenhall Street and Charles Street to make the area safe from broken glass as well as removed all the gutterings.

“NIE have to maintain the sub-station and have been using other access arrangements through three buildings further back. However these are also coming down and are becoming a danger.”

Once the work to create a pathway to the sub-station has been completed a six foot wall will be built to hide the rubble. Further work is expected to take place in the near future.

Ballymoney Borough Council have also been on-site to inspect the work to ensure the correct safety procedures are being carried out.