RESEMBLING a film set waiting for the arrival of the cameras and actors, the last remaining section of the former Downton tannery stands forlornly awaiting its future.
Although the rest of the old tannery building has been demolished to make way for luxury new riverside homes, the imposing facade remains.
New homes are being built on the site and a condition of the planning permission was that the facade had to be retained.
It will not have to stand, seemingly unsupported, for long because work is about to start on the 18 apartments behind the facade which will provide support for it.
Developers Beechcroft Construction is to start the second phase of the Church Leat development. It will be known as the Old Tannery and will include six ground-floor affordable social housing units.
The remainder of the apartments will be sold on the open market at prices from £250,000.
A spokeswoman for Beechcroft said the 18 apartments would not have the age restriction 55 years or over imposed on new owners of the homes in the Church Leat development that occupy the remainder of the tannery site.
In addition to the new apartments, work has also started to give Downton a library to replace the wooden library in Barford Lane.
Beechcroft is building the library within the site on land opposite Church Leat, and the footings are already in place.
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