Coleman to hand over Didcot recovery phase

United Kingdom-based demolition company Coleman has said it will hand over recovery works at the former Didcot A power station to another contractor in the next few weeks.

Coleman said the move was “not our decision” and described it as “hugely disappointing”.

However, the company admitted it understood the reasons why the decision had been made.

Part of an old boiler house at the Didcot site collapsed on February 23. One man was pronounced dead at the scene and the bodies of a further three individuals have not yet been recovered.

A statement on Coleman’s website said: “We have now reached a stage where we will be handing over the remaining recovery operation to another contractor within the next few weeks.

“This is of course hugely disappointing as we all wanted to recover our friends and colleagues and return them to their families. We wish to make it clear that this decision in no way diminishes the excellent work that everyone involved in supporting the recovery has done.

“It has been explained to us that this decision has been made for reasons of safe-guarding employee welfare and the preservation of critical evidence.

“We understand these reasons and our immediate focus is to ensure that we continue with the recovery operation for as long as we are permitted and at the same time, work collaboratively to facilitate a seamless transition so that the recovery process going forward proceeds without delay.”

Elsewhere, Coleman has won a Considerate Constructors award for its demolition of a redundant gas holder site on behalf of National Grid Property.

Managing director Mark Coleman thanked everyone involved and described the award as “welcome news at a difficult time”.