Pictures kindly supplied by Walsall Wood resident Stephen Hill

Yesterday, roving Walsall Wood current affairs correspondent Stephen Hill sent me the above collection of images and the following observations about what is currently happening at Oak Park.

The derelict ensure centre – replaced last August by a new one constructed behind – was the scene a couple of days ago of a large fire that appears to have taken hold in the roof above the former reception area.

Yesterday, demolition crews were stripping the area of the blaze in order that the smouldering timbers could be dampened down. Stephen had a chat with the guys at the scene:

I was chatting to the bloke who is doing the demolition and he has just said that he has to get all the roof off it so they can make sure it’s all damped down and there’s a fire engine coming back to damp it down as they take the roof off.

They’ve started taking some of it down but the public are walking past it so he’s got to stop while they wait for fencing to be put up around to stop the public walking up by the building.

The electric company have just turned up to turn the electric off as an emergency job and also the gas board are coming to disconnect the gas supply as an emergency job too.

They were also talking about the plant room that’s to the swimming pools not sure what’s happening there

The Walsall Advertiser is currently reporting that demolition of the building has been brought forward as a consequence of the fire, and one would hope that the eventual landscaping and replacement by sports pitches as per the original plan will be swift.

That will also speed the removal of the unsightly mounds of soil being stockpiled around the site for the purpose.

Thanks to Stephen for his third report in two days – information like this really is valuable and much appreciated. Thanks for taking time to help keep our community informed.

Anything to add? Comment here or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks.