A DISUSED factory surrounded by Grade II listed properties has been earmarked for redevelopment.

Medici Associates have said they “highly recommend” the building at the former Hollington Brothers factory, in Church Street, Coggeshall, is demolished and rebuilt to comply with current design standards and building regulations.

The Hollingtons Trust does not consider rebuilding the factory building, which is based in a conservation area, to be viable or appropriate.

A report to Braintree Council indicates the buildings are not listed but are likely to be seen as non-designated heritage assets, which are located within the Coggeshall conservation area.

Many of the houses in Church Street are Graded II listed and date from as early as the medieval period.

The building complex is not considered to be of any architectural interest or importance, however, the complex would have historic interest as part of the social and industrial heritage of Coggeshall, a report adds.

Building 1 is one of three attached buildings which were once a row of ancient cottages but converted into a factory and warehouse in the early 1900s for the production of clothing when Hollington Brothers moved out of London.

Hollington’s closed its doors in 2013 and has stood empty ever since.

More recently, concerns have been raised regarding the condition of the buildings, in particular the danger posed by roofing slates being thrown off the buildings in high winds.

But being within a designated conservation area planning permission is required for partial or full demolition of buildings.

A statement to the council said: “Before the building can be demolished, planning consent is required.

“In this situation, demolition is urgently required and recommended for safety reasons, so the urgency and the need for approval was discussed with planning officers prior to the submission of this application.

“The advice received was that an application for planning permission for demolition should be made in the first instance.”

The report adds: “The Hollingtons Trust does not consider it would be viable, or indeed appropriate, to rebuild the factory building in the absence of a viable commercial use and would aim to redevelop the entire site.

“Of the three ranges on the site, it is recommended Building 1 is demolished for public safety reasons.”