The blue cargo cranes at Salford Quays were described by a Salford Council report back in 2007 as an "important local landmark" that "represent an important link with the heritage and history of Salford Quays".
They were Grade A listed on Salford's Local List of Buildings Structures and Features of Archaeological, Architectural or Historic Interest. Now there is a move to de-list them, paving the way for their demolition.
A report to the Lead Member for Planning, Councillor Derek Antrobus, tomorrow, (20th March) will recommend a new Local List of Heritage Assets for Salford which will exclude the blue cranes. The List was drawn up last May by the Heritage Working Group (whatever that might be), chaired by the `Heritage Champion' (whoever that might be), and will be put out to public consultation following the meeting.
The cargo cranes - operational on Dock 6 from 1966 and moved to their current site in 1988 - have been under threat for the last five years. Salford Council has consistently stated that they couldn't be maintained in their current location because Metrolink power cables made the erection of scaffolding impossible.
In 2007 the Council admitted neglect - "There is clear evidence of the lack of maintenance by the city over the period of time that the cranes have been located in their current position" – and considered scrapping the cranes altogether, or keeping one and scrapping the other, but they were considered too important a landmark, so temporary measures were put in place.
In 2010 the Council considered moving them to near the Lowry Outlet Mall but considered they would ruin the view and "increase the sense of clutter" (see here). It was decided, instead, to move the cranes to the roundabout at the end of the M602 as part of the infamous £3million road tart up for MediaCityUK (see here) – and the North West Development Agency even paid £75,000 for special plinths to hold them.
Back in February this year, a Council report looked at five Options for the cargo cranes, which included refurbishing, painting, moving or restoring them, and concluded that there would be a "significant funding requirement" in the range of £648,500 to £982,000, plus maintenance costs of £100,000 over 12 years. Demolition would cost only £78,233 and putting the decision off for another 12 months with a temporary coating would cost £40-60,000.
The cross party Sustainable Regeneration Scrutiny Committee recommended in February that the cranes "be taken down and removed in order for their condition to be assessed". But once the cranes are taken down and removed it's highly unlikely they will ever return.
What none of the Council reports on the cranes state is that there is £734,000 funding put aside and ring fenced to sort the cranes out.
Meanwhile, the first step towards the cranes destruction will happen at tomorrow's meeting of the Lead Member for Planning when the new catalogue of locally listed `heritage assets' will be approved – without the blue cargo cranes…
* The report to Planning states that "Local Listing is a means for a local community to decide what it is in their area that they would like recognised as a 'local heritage asset' and therefore worthy of some degree of protection through the planning system. It therefore provides clarity as to where these heritage assets are located and what it is about them that is worth considering."
* * The list doesn't include the formerly included Langworthy Hotel, now reduced to rubble on Langworthy Road (see here).
*** The full list as it is being recommended can be seen by clicking here and clicking on Item 4a Appendix.
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