Starts:
17th August
Expected to take:
Around two weeks
Site traffic uses:
Dark Lane only
Road & footpath works:
9am – 3pm only
Your questions answered
Before work can begin on Farleigh Fields West, the existing property at 23 Dark Lane, Backwell will be carefully taken down. We know demolition works raise questions for neighbours, so we’ve answered the most common ones below.
Tap a question to see the answer.
What’s happening, and when does it start?
The property at 23 Dark Lane, Backwell is being demolished, starting on Monday 17 August 2026. The works will be carried out in stages and are expected to take around two weeks — though the final duration depends on the findings of the asbestos survey carried out before demolition begins.
Who is carrying out the demolition?
The works will be undertaken on our behalf by Lawson Group, a licensed demolition contractor.
Is this the start of the housebuilding?
No. The demolition is a separate, self-contained phase and will be completed independently of the proposed residential development. We’ll keep the community informed about next steps through this website.
What hours will work take place?
General site working hours will be 8am to 5pm.
Any works involving the road or footpath will only take place between 9am and 3pm. Some activities may happen outside those hours, but only where they don’t involve the road or footpath beyond the site boundary.
How are pedestrians and children being protected?
The demolition has been timed to take place during the school summer holidays, so the works avoid term-time school drop-off and pick-up altogether.
Even so, extra precautions remain in place: nothing that uses the road or footpath will happen outside 9am to 3pm — including the delivery and removal of machinery — and all vehicle movements at the site entrance will be supervised by a trained banksman (a dedicated person who directs vehicles safely).
What route will demolition traffic use?
All demolition and construction traffic will enter and leave the site via Dark Lane only. Church Lane will not be used for site traffic under any circumstances.
Vehicles will not stop or wait on local roads, and contractor parking will be kept within the driveway of No. 23 — we expect only one contractor van to be needed on site.
Will there be heavy machinery?
Yes — a 7-tonne rubber-tracked excavator (demolition specification) will do the main work. It will arrive on a low-loader and be unloaded on Dark Lane under banksman control, within the restricted 9am to 3pm window. Any temporary occupation of the road during unloading or removal will be limited to around 15 minutes.
What about dust and noise?
Dust suppression measures, including dampening down, will run throughout the works in line with the approved Construction & Demolition Traffic Management Plan.
Because of how close neighbouring homes are, no crushing or processing of demolition materials will take place on site — all demolition material will be removed from site instead.
Where will skips go?
Skips for timber, plasterboard and other soft-strip materials will sit within the driveway of No. 23 — not on the road. Skips will be exchanged regularly, with every vehicle manoeuvre controlled by a banksman.
How will the site be kept secure?
The site entrance will be fully enclosed with Heras fencing (secure temporary steel fencing) and a lockable gated access point. Clear signage will mark the construction site boundary and access restrictions.
What’s happening to the stone boundary wall?
The stone wall at the front of the property is connected to No. 25, so it’s being treated with care. During the demolition phase it will be carefully cut back to approximately 600mm (about 2 feet) inside the boundary of No. 23 to allow access to the site.
No further changes will be made to the wall until the new permanent boundary between the site access and No. 25 has been built — at which point the wall will be made good in line with the approved permanent boundary arrangement.
In what order will the works happen?
- Getting ready: removal of the front boundary wall section and fencing to open up the driveway, then setting up site security and dust suppression.
- Initial works: removal of the garage on the western boundary to give access to the rear of the site. Roof tiles will be taken off by hand and stacked on pallets.
- Main demolition: scaffolding goes up on the eastern side of the house for extra protection, then the main building is taken down progressively under controlled conditions, with dust suppression running throughout.
Can I have some of the roof tiles?
Possibly, yes! Subject to safety considerations, surplus roof tiles will be made available outside the site boundary for local residents who’d like to keep some for future repairs to their own properties. Keep an eye on the community noticeboard for details once demolition is underway.
What do I contact with concerns or questions?
Email the team at [email protected] and the right person will come back to you. For live updates during the works, check the community noticeboard — you can also sign up there to receive updates by email.
Stay informed during the works
The community noticeboard carries live updates throughout the demolition — and you can sign up there to have news sent straight to your inbox.