Home Page Haverhill News

Demolishing a lot, if not all, of the Gurteens factory site is the only way it can be made to flourish again within Haverhill High Street, according to a developer.

Nic Rumsey, of Carisbrooke Development, which owns Haverhill Business Park and is now beginning work towards a research park at the west of Haverhill, told Haverhill business people yesterday if Gurteens was in the north of England it would be 'demolished like a shot'.

Mr Rumsey was, for a time, in partnership with Gurteens about development of their site but pulled out partly because he did not think preserving the buildings would allow the development to succeed.

A development brief for the site involving retention of most of the buildings, which are listed, has now been agreed by St Edmundsbury Council based on a brief put forward by the company's agents Bidwells after public consultation earlier this year.

"I think it's good news for Haverhill that Gurteens are trying to do something with the site," Mr Rumsey told a networking meeting of the Best of Haverhill website at which he was the guest speaker yesterday.

"But if the Gurteens buildings were up north, where these sort of mills are very common, it would be demolished like a shot, and I think that should happen.

"I find it hard to believe that, without partial demolition at least, it can flourish."

Mr Rumsey said it was a key decision for St Edmundsbury Council and they were taking a timid approach.

Because the buildings are listed, any demolition requires the consent of English Heritage, who have been consultees in the new development brief.

But Mr Rumsey thought more pressure should have been exerted on English Heritage to de-list the buildings, because the site was so vital to the progress of Haverhill town centre.

He praised the recent plans put forward by Cambridge-based HPG Developments for the former Project site but was concerned further development all along Ehringshausen Way could result in Haverhill High Street becoming sidelined.