River Ouse crane at Queens Staith could be demolished

7:46am Tuesday 4th December 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Mark Stead, mark.stead@thepress.co.uk

The cranes on Queen’s Staith, York. The smaller gantry on the left is the one which York Sea Cadets want to remove The cranes on Queen’s Staith, York. The smaller gantry on the left is the one which York Sea Cadets want to remove

PART of York’s waterfront heritage could be torn down after being branded a safety risk.

An application has been made to City of York Council for a crane gantry which stands on the western bank of the River Ouse, on Queens Staith, to be demolished.

The iron structure, which has been a familiar riverside site for more than 100 years and was once part of the Ouse’s role as an industrial quayside, juts out from the Skeldergate building where York Sea Cadets are based and stands on three pillars.

The charity needs to secure permission to bring down the gantry because it is within the city’s conservation area.

In a statement to the council outlining the reasons why demolition is being sought, Paul Sutermeister, chairman of the Sea Cadets, said: “The gantry has long been redundant and is considered a dangerous structure by the building control department at City of York Council.

“The removal of the gantry will not affect any public activity and will make the area a safer place. “Once removed, there will be no management or maintenance requirements or issues.”

A decision on whether the crane can be demolished is expected to be made by council planners early in the New Year.

The North Riding Branch of the Inland Waterways Association has written to the authority to say the scheme, if approved, will mean part of York’s industrial history being lost.

In its letter, the association said: “We appreciate it is redundant these days, but its existence tells us of when the River Ouse was a working river.

“What a shame some grant could not be found to maintain its existence for historic value and for those who find it historically significant.”

The crane earmarked for demolition – which is believed to have been built during the Victorian era – stands next to a larger gantry connected to the Woodsmill Quay warehouse building, which is not affected by the Sea Cadets’ application.

Comments(13)

Chrido81 says...
12:24pm Tue 4 Dec 12

I note from the article that Mr Sutermeiser states that City of York Council consider the Gantry as being an unsafe structure.

Is there anything to back this up, or is it merely unsafe because someone says it is? I put it to Mr Sutermeister that he is just trying to have an 'eyesore' removed.

If someone wants to show that it genuinely is dangerous then by all means make it safe, but to knock it down on 'what ifs' is a bit silly.

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was york now rotherham says...
1:18pm Tue 4 Dec 12

whats the scrap value on the crain/gantry

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BigJon says...
1:35pm Tue 4 Dec 12

If it's so unsafe, as the article seems to imply, then why isn't it barricaded off to stop people risking injury by walking underneath it?

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sheps lad says...
2:20pm Tue 4 Dec 12

No maintenance issues? Does this mean the cost of painting it?

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Ichabod76 says...
3:01pm Tue 4 Dec 12

Is it unsafe because he can't stop the cadets climbing on it and fears a lawsuit ?

or what do they want to put in its place ?

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lezyork1966 says...
3:20pm Tue 4 Dec 12

years ago railings were put up, for safety, needed planning etc, been up for years, last year scrap value soars and lots of railings are removed without public consultation, come on, tell me where they went and why removed... ie the ones under the arches on station rise...or opposite the keystones pub...are these roads safer now???

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lowbeam says...
5:26pm Tue 4 Dec 12

If you get rid of this,you may as well get rid of everything!
This is part of our heritage for goodness sake,what next? demolish the minster?

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jumbojet says...
6:30pm Tue 4 Dec 12

Leave as is. Part of the visual, and history, of the River Ouse. Get the same Sea Cadets some overalls, and some wire brushes, and get the Gantry cleaned up and painted. The Bile Beans sign has been done, with no public monies, and so can this, or are the same cadets unable, due health and safety, to go up more than three rungs of a ladder. Probably the case if I remember the last Royal Navy fiasco in the Middle East. God save the Queen.

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Jazzper says...
6:59pm Tue 4 Dec 12

I agree with the other posters, it should definitely stay, I fear there is more to this than Paul Sutermeister is telling us here. I thought it would be a high priority for such as this scout group to be seen to promote our heritage....so the overalls and wire brushes sounds good to me !

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colette says...
7:28pm Tue 4 Dec 12

It would be a pity to lose this - the river side in York has changed a lot over the years, Redfern Glass factory, warehouses, coal depots, all gone - not much left to remind us of York's past. At least the crane is a reminder of York's industrial heritage. I used to go and pick elderflowers on Queen's Staith, to make wine - that bit of "wild" land has now gone, too

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Son of Amigo says...
7:56pm Tue 4 Dec 12

lowbeam wrote:
If you get rid of this,you may as well get rid of everything!
This is part of our heritage for goodness sake,what next? demolish the minster?
dont be a sillybilly lowbeam, demolish the minster? I dont think so. Some of our local "metal salvage dealers" might help remove it one night.

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AnotherPointofView says...
9:20pm Tue 4 Dec 12

Son of Amigo wrote:
lowbeam wrote:
If you get rid of this,you may as well get rid of everything!
This is part of our heritage for goodness sake,what next? demolish the minster?
dont be a sillybilly lowbeam, demolish the minster? I dont think so. Some of our local "metal salvage dealers" might help remove it one night.
Agreed Amigo, A bit over the top lowbeam.

Seriously though I doubt if it was removed most people wouldn't even notice. The larger crane at Woodsmill is definitely worthy of keeping.

York's heritage is important but the whole city isn't a museum to be preserved as if time stands still.

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hikerman says...
10:43am Wed 5 Dec 12

York city council will take it down for free with the price of scrap all railings taken down to make York look good just waiting for accident to happen .

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