THIS is probably one of the last pictures taken from the top of an iconic chimney at Steam Mills – before it is taken down brick-by-brick.

Used-vehicle parts business FAB Recycling Ltd, based on Forest Vale Industrial Estate in Cinderford, is relocating to the site at Broadmoor Brickworks and says the chimney is ‘structurally unsound’.

The firm bought the site, also on the industrial estate, as it is working to capacity at its current location.

Managing director at FAB Recycling Ltd, Jason Cross said the move is planned for early 2017. He said: “It’s an exciting time for us as we look to move to a site that is three times bigger than our existing base. We will be doing exactly the same thing but just on a larger sale.

“Broadmoor Brickworks was advertised for sale at £700,000 and the investment in the area will exceed £1million when completed and will inevitably lead to more jobs.”

Eight men from Wyedean Scaffolding and Richard Ashly Services, supported by RJ Contracting, are in the process of removing 200,000 bricks from the 100ft brick kiln chimney. This is expected to take a week.

The chimney has been one of the industrial sights of the town for at least 90 years and will be dismantled brick-by-brick as ‘burning the chimney and letting it collapse’ was not an option.

Mr Cross said: “We have to keep the process safe given the poor condition of the stack. If we burnt the chimney and let it collapse it would have demolished the surrounding buildings that the chimney sits in the middle of.

“It’s unfortunate we have to remove it but it has two significant cracks down each side which make it structurally unsound, and therefore poses a health and safety risk to our 30 employees.”

He added: “The tradespeople, who are all from local businesses and currently working at the site, are the best I’ve ever worked with. It was really important for us to find somewhere in the Forest to relocate to and we feel we have found the perfect place.

“We will be selling the bricks recovered from the chimney and kilns, hopefully to local people who want to use locally-produced imperial bricks. I have saved a few from the very top to give out to the previous owners and workers from the brickworks as souvenirs. We won’t know how many there will be until the job is completed.”

Jonathan Hadfield, director of Wyedean Scaffolding, who has supplied the scaffolding for the project, said: “We have been carrying out the scaffolding works to the chimney to assist with its demolition.

“The chimney is now being dismantled brick-by-brick and as the work progresses we’ll remove it.”