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Richborough cooling towers to be demolished this Sunday

A view across the Thanet countryside towards the Richborough cooling towers
A view across the Thanet countryside towards the Richborough cooling towers

Richborough power station has dominated the skyline since it opened in 1962

One of east Kent's most iconic landmarks will be blown up this weekend.

The cooling towers and chimney at Richborough, near Sandwich, were part of a power station that was decommissioned in 1996.

They have dominated the skyline since they were built in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but the giant structures will be levelled in a matter of seconds.

kmfm's Jo Earle gets the reaction of local people to Sunday's demolition

Demolition crews will place explosive charges in the legs and an area of the shell of the towers before they are brought to the ground at around 9am on Sunday morning.

Although the demolition is not a public event, hundreds of people are expected to watch the historic spectacle from vantage points across east Kent.

The cooling towers at Richborough, as seen from the East Kent Access Road
The cooling towers at Richborough, as seen from the East Kent Access Road

Long delays are expected when the towers are demolished on Sunday

For safety reasons, a large exclusion zone will be put in place around Richborough and a number of roads will be closed, including parts of the A256 East Kent Access Road. Long delays are expected and drivers have been asked to use alternative routes.

The demolition is weather dependent and if the towers cannot be brought down as planned, work will be deferred until one of the following two Sundays.

KentOnline will have pictures and video from the demolition on Sunday, as well as a special report looking back at the history of the site on Monday.

Next week's Thanet Extra and East Kent Mercury and kmfm News will also have extensive coverage.

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