Planning Approval - 20/3/11
Dear friends,
Whilst a full Newsletter would
be expensive and timely to produce I thought you
would all wish to know that the Planning Consent
for the stabilisation (de minimus) works to
Queen’s Pier has been received.
The Independent Inspector, Mr
Neil Holt, submitted his report to the Council
of Ministers in February recommending approval
and registered building consent be granted
subject to certain conditions regarding the
careful removal and storage of various Heritage
Artefacts.
On 10th March the Council of
Ministers accepted the recommendation and the
application was approved
subject to those same conditions.
For the re-assurance of the
doubters I give the following extracts:- (The
italics are mine..)
The scheme proposes the
following works whose aim is to maintain the
stability of the pier structure and protect it
from further deterioration….
-
Damaged and missing
diagonal bracing tie rods, horizontal struts
and their associated screw couplings
will be replaced.
-
Loose or rotten timber
decking, counter joists and timber side
walling beams will be removed or
made secure where
necessary.
-
Toll huts close to the
entrance and the shelter at the seaward end
of the pier will be dismantled
in a controlled manner and stored.
-
The cast iron balusters
will be carefully unbolted
from the timber walling beams and
stored along with lampposts,
seating and other metal work of historic
value. The items removed will
be recorded, tagged and secured
in good quality shipping containers off
site, in a location at Jurby to be agreed
with the Director of Properties.
-
Decking on the north side,
(the cantilever siding) will be removed and
the decking profile returned to the original
construction line.
In the current financial
climate the provision of £1.8m to fund the
proposed works confirms the
Department’s intention to retain the pier for
future refurbishment. In doing so
the Department is reflecting the will of Tynwald
which in May 2010 decisively voted
against an amendment to demolish the pier.
I certainly do not regard this
as demolition by stealth and neither did the
Inspector.
Of course we are not home and
dry yet as Tynwald has to vote the funds but I
can only repeat what was proposed last May when
the proposal was overwhelmingly approved.
“Adoption of this
option and commitment of expenditure is not
recommended unless there is an implied
commitment to future refurbishment and
expenditure. Without this commitment, adoption
of this option would merely delay a decision,
incur unnecessary additional costs and extend
the ongoing debate regarding the future of
Queen’s Pier.”
In other words
Don’t vote for this
Option unless you intend to carry on to full
refurbishment!
The Resolution carried
by 29 votes to 1.
Now is the
time for you
to write to your MHK and remind him or her of
this.
Best regards,
Fred Hodgson,
Chairman.
|
