The former Scott Works factory is a very prestigious landmark in the BD7 area of Bradford and has, in previous times provided jobs for the local community. Located on the corner of Hollingwood Lane and Scott Lane, the site was first owned by a local Bradford based company who dealt in Motorcycle manufacturing called Scott’s Motorcycles. The building was eventually bought and extended to what you see today by Field Sons & Company, who in turn, have been bought out by Reed International Limited and currently Chesapeake Limited. Ron Hull Demolition Ltd, in competition won the project to decommission the building including asbestos removal and demolition to floor level of the site.

The site was used for printing and packaging through all the owners, until Chesapeake decide on relocation of the company to Newcastle. Firstly, a partnership between Field & Firth was set up in 1850, Mr Firth died in 1859, leaving Mr. Martin Field to carry on the business until he was joined by his sons M & C Field, the company moved to the Bradford site just outside of Great Horton. Ever growing and expanding the business went through 3 name changes and 3 new chairmen up until 1964 when they were acquired by REEDS International Ltd with Mr. Behrens as the new chairman after being Managing Director.
In 1976 the business had 4 sites including this one in Bradford as well as Newcastle on Tyne, Thatcham, Berkshire and Broxburn in Scotland. Employing over 2000 people from local areas to convert over 50,000 tonnes of cardboard annually, into cartons and fancy boxes for the packaging of cigarettes, whiskey, detergents, toilet tissues, bakery products, confectionary, frozen foods, toys, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, footwear, hardware and textiles.
In May 2012, Ron Hull Demolition Ltd were awarded the highly sought after contract to remove the Former Scott Works to slab level including the soft strip of all the inside of the building while also completing the Asbestos Removal of the 4 storey building. The 30 week programme should be completed around March 2013. In December RHDL’s machines were deployed to demolish the outer buildings including several smaller ’shed like’ buildings and a steel frame canopy round the back of the building. Further demolition will be completed when RHDL’s specialist Asbestos Removal team have completed their work inside the building. The site is under close supervision from all levels of the RHDL team, from the site supervisor and site manager. With regular visits from the Ron Hull Group Health & Safety Manager, who is in regular contact with the HSE to ensure the safest standards are maintained throughout the project, to ensure the safety of all site personnel. Also visiting the site regularly is the Senior Contracts Manager and Commercial Director who are in regular contact with Chesapeake to make sure the Client is fully happy with the work which is being undertaken on the Project.
Below are some pictures of the site before, during and after some of the work on the outer buildings had taken place. Also historicaly, there are some pictures of the building in the past and the first owner of the business who were tenants of the building.
More to follow on the development of the site in the coming months.
Once again Ron Hull Demolition Ltd continues to set the standards for the others to follow within the Demolition industry.