House collapse in Ashton Under Lyne

[^woody^]

Tbh, that's how it should be done. Non of this namby-pamby risk assessment and method statement, and a bloke spraying a hose over the site malarky. Get it done.

Fred Dibnah would be proud. "Did ya liek th'at?"

BTW, clearly not an engineer. He was getting his hands dirty.

 

[angelboy]

 

[ree]

I've just passed the new link to a friend, she's a member of the SPAB & RICS with an interest in all these convenient fires in old mills and factories that "developers" & council's want shifting. She told a back story, or her version of events in Ashton under Lyme:

1. The property had been the home of James Thompson, a famous author in the 19C. Literary pilgrims were beginning to visit the site. It was blue plaqued.

2. The council and big business (they are developing the area) wanted the place demolished, they feared it might get listed, & get in the way of future plans.

3. Conveniently, the work going on around the building gradually weakened an already unsteady structure.

4. Days before the collapse, early warning signs were reported by an alarmed public - the council did nothing.

5. When the thing first collapsed, the council responded by sending unsupervised, unskilled operatives to the site. It seems to be contentious as to when the BCO and/or the council engineer put in an appearance.

6. On the day of the race no one was working at the rear of the building where they had been working on previous days. Quite a coincidence.

Take it for what it is or isn't, it sounds familiar.

I would like to see what happens next on that site?

The ISE's report linked to above, stated ref. the building: "it could have been saved". ie. it could have been saved if SE's had been called in at the first signs of instability, days before the crash.

 

[Newboy]

@ree

A bit of context as you seem to be (in my opinion) overvaluing a rather humdrum old building - of which there are many thousands.

1) James Thompson wasn't a famous author by any definition (in fairness he's written more books than I'm ever likely too!) http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100520524
2) A Blue plaque has no legal status - they are usually erected by local historical societies as a point of local interest.
3.) The chances of this building ever getting listed would have been slim to none. The listing is based on architectural merit. There are other protections for historical reasons but not listed in the sense I suspect you think.

If you'd like to take a look at Stamford Street https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4...4!1sOwTKrvAf-4eqzQpXxAhMyw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

edit: for corrected link

 

[Newboy]

I would like to see what happens next on that site?

The site after rebuilding works (Oct 2014) - would suggest a demolition and rebuild to me


https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4...4!1sVVTSawc-VuBy-ck85U4GjQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.4...pIhbN7qw!2e0!5s20150701T000000!7i13312!8i6656

 

[RonnyRaygun]

The great thing about Google Street View now is that you can scroll back through time to 2008 and look at previous pictures. The deterioration between 2008 and 2011 is noticeable.

Has to be said also that the rebuild is a vast improvement on what was there before - wonder if they'll put the blue plaque back up

 

[AronSearle]

How dare people remove old buildings that none of the people who want them protected would live in or near by.

Such a terrible loss.

 

[kazuya]

sounds like they knew exactly what they were doing to me

 

[tony1851]

The whole thing here is a storm in a teacup.

I suggest Ronny is right, in that some dimwit reporter doesn't know the difference between an engineer and
a cow pat. Clearly, the bloke in the cherry picker will not be a chartered engineer, but at the same time the ISE
didn't really need to labour the point.

I'm all for saving old buildings, even those of no particular architectural merit, as the plain vernacular buildings are part of the fabric of our surroundings. But this building was in a bad way, Ashton is frankly a dump (I know it too well), and what's there now is a considerable improvement.