Brunel heritage in danger

[Nemesis]

70 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ
PRESS RELEASE 20th February 2008 PRESS RELEASE
SAVE CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE LISTING OF IMPORTANT BRUNEL PUMPING STATION FACING DEMOLITION – ROOF BEING REMOVED
SAVE Britain’s Heritage is calling for the immediate listing by Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport Andy Burnham of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Atmospheric Pumping House in Totnes, Devon. Its owner, Dairycrest, started the illegal demolition of the building. Last week contractors removed part of the roof without the use of scaffolding or protective clothing, claiming they were removing asbestos in preparation for repair. An application to demolish was lodged with the local authority, South Hams District Council, shortly after.

The 1840s Atmospheric Pumping House is a part of Brunel’s attempt to introduce a radical form of locomotion, with trains being pushed by air pressure from a pipe between the railway tracks. Trials between Exeter and Teignmouth were abandoned after a year when rats chewed through the tallowed leather valves along the line. The system was far ahead of its time, pre-empting the basic concept behind electrification – that of taking power to the train rather than the train carrying its power source – and taking it further in taking the actual source of locomotion to the train. Only two other pumping houses on the route survive and are both listed, at Starcross and Torquay. It is arguably the most interesting and unique stretch of railway in the UK.

SAVE’s Secretary, Adam Wilkinson said “This extraordinary relic must be listed now. It is an incredible reminder of an era of amazing innovation and inventiveness. One could hardly imagine a railway company coming up with, and executing, an idea like this nowadays. It is hugely important both nationally and locally - Totnes is up in arms at the threat to the building - and to top it all it could easily find a new use. The Secretary of State must act fast to list the building, allowing the local authority to act to prevent demolition.”
Totnes Museum Administrator Alan Langmaid said “The Atmospheric Pumping House is one of the very few heritage sites outside the main town and is a great landmark - it would be a tragedy to lose it. It isn’t fair game. The heritage of the town spreads beyond its Saxon defences and mediaeval boundary– our history didn’t stop in 1066 with the Normans.”

ENDS

Contact: Adam Wilkinson 020 7253 3500,
Totnes Museum Administrator Alan Langmaid 01803 863 821
Councillor Pruw Boswell, Totnes Town Council 01803 862 870
Images: http://www.totnesonline.com/brunel RELEASE 2008/02

 

[skier-hughes]

Surely it'd be easier to stop the work now by bringing in the health and safety executive, giving time for listing etc.

"Last week contractors removed part of the roof without the use of scaffolding or protective clothing, claiming they were removing asbestos in preparation for repair."

 

[Nemesis]

I think the thought had actually crossed the mind of the council's enforcement team. All work is halted.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

It was turned down for listing last year. Good old EH :roll:

http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/d...uleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch

 

[Nemesis]

I can think of other ways to describe EH... :evil:

It is being appealed, currently I understand with Andy Burnham.

 

[Nemesis]

Update:

http://www.totneslivingcommunity.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=419

Today:

http://www.totneslivingcommunity.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=419

I do know further information has been sent, including from the expert on Brunel, which may have crossed with the letter of yesterday from the DCMS.

Not looking good, however, although maybe, just maybe, some pressure brought to bear on Dairycrest will help.

 

[Nemesis]

Whoops - here's the correct second link:

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232510&home=yes&more_nodeId1=232470&contentPK=19961154

 

[Nemesis]

there are plans at a local level to renovate this building as part of a greater scheme for a carbon-neutral Sustainable Business Park on the 8 acre site. DairyCrest have been made aware of these plans.

One idea put forward is that the Pumping House becomes an educational resource centre and visitor's attraction, showcasing the ways we have used 'Carbon' fuels to pioneer the technological and engineering advances of the past centuries, to the present need to go beyond petroleum and the ways we can (and have) developed sustainable energy technologies and fuels.

Let's hope that our all our efforts haven't been in vain. Demolition of this building would be an act of gross cultural vandalism

!

Yesterday evening on:

http://www.totneslivingcommunity.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=419

Today:

Dairy Crest Continues to Vandalize Brunel Buildings
photos taken Feb 25 2008

Dairy Crest are ignoring attempts to save the Brunel buildings in the station yard at Totnes, allowing their contractors to remove the tiles and do more damage to the roof.
This is an historic building and many industrial archaeologists are anxious to save it, but it appears that Dairy Crest have no interest in anything but its demolition.
Letters of support have come from Dr Mark Horton of the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Bristol and presenter of the BBC 'Coast' series and Professor Marilyn Palmer of the Association for Industrial Archaeology, who says:

"The Association for Industrial Archaeology strongly supports the efforts of local people in Totnes to prevent the demolition of the Brunel Atmospheric Railway pump house in Totnes. There are so few relics of this interesting railway system left and it would be a great pity if a use could not be found for the building, given its situation right next to the railway station."

http://www.totnesonline.com/

 

[Nemesis]

Today's latest (you read it here first!!)

You just have to imagine the SAVE logo (which I can't copy readily)

PRESS RELEASE IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE


27th February 2008


JEREMY CLARKSON AND OTHERS RALLY FOR THREATENED BRUNEL PUMPING STATION, TOTNES, DEVON: ENGLISH HERITAGE ACCUSED OF “WHITEWASHING HISTORY”


TV’s Jeremy Clarkson has spoken out against Dairycrest’s attempt to demolish Brunel’s historic pumping station at Totnes is Devon, an all too rare survival from the engineer’s 1840s atmospheric railway. Clarkson’s brilliant advocacy on TV’s “Great Briton’s” nearly won Brunel the accolade of Great Briton of all time. (He was beaten by Churchill by a whisker).

Mr Clarkson said, “Dairycrest is a jolly big and important company, I'm sure. But its chilled products will never worm their way into the fabric of Britain quite like Isambard Kingdom Brunel did. And, nor, I suspect, will whatever they propose to build when the pumping station has been pulled down. I urge them therefore to think again.”

Marcus Binney, President of SAVE, in 1980 led the rescue and restoration of Brunel's original railway terminus at Bristol Temple Meads. He said, "Brunel was not only Britain's most famous engineer but he had his own highly distinctive architectural style - bold, rugged and making excellent use of natural materials. Every building he designed, great or small, is a landmark in its locality."

Earlier this week the Department for Culture Media and Sport took English Heritage’s advice and refused to list the building. The two other remaining pumping stations at Starcross and Torre are listed at Grade I and II* respectively.
Shadow Arts Minister Ed Vaizey MP said, “This is a shocking act of cultural vandalism. This is one of just three unique pumping stations, built by the country’s greatest engineer, and it should be listed and preserved”

Industrial archaeologist, from TV’s ‘Coast’ series, Mark Horton said, “The world would be a poorer place if this building was demolished. It is vital to understanding the atmospheric railway and tells how Brunel planned a much more ambitious scheme that was thwarted by the directors, which is not found in any of the documents or indeed standard accounts of his life. One might as well just burn one of his notebooks”
'
Very little of our industrial heritage is now safe if this extraordinary decision is allowed to stand. English Heritage are effectively whitewashing history, with the view that the Atmospheric Railway did not contribute to technological development - a very debatable point”
ENDS

Contact:
Adam Wilkinson, Secretary, SAVE Britain’s Heritage 020 7253 3500
Councillor Pruw Boswell, Totnes Town Council 01803 862 870
Images available on request
Release no 2008/03

Dare I suggest a boycott of Dairycrest?

 

[Gareth Hughes]

This is one of just three unique pumping stations

Dare I suggest English lessons for the shadow Arts Minister?

However, as this is the least well-preserved of the three surviving examples, and the other two are listed Grade I and II*, I would suggest that the case illustrates perfectly what Grade II should be for.

 

[Nemesis]

Well, after reading the Minister on listing maybe a DVD and demolish will give us the way ahead. (Last mooted by T J I think...)

http://periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=9118

Then we don't need to leave the sofa, we can virtually tour the past while architects are 'showing us what they can do'. And developers are making a mint.

Mr Clarkson was kind enough to give a quote at least. 8)

 

[Nemesis]

An e-mail address for Dairy Crest:

http://www.totneslivingcommunity.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=260&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15&sid=185f135ef73ea2eb0ae7888ccdf3f727

 

[Nemesis]

Torygraph, Mr Clover:


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/27/eabrunel127.xml

 

[Nemesis]

The Beeb:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7269297.stm

 

[Nemesis]

The local press:

http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=134844&command=displayContent&sourceNode=134828&contentPK=20007222&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch



http://www.totneslivingcommunity.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=260&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

 

[Nemesis]

It was Listed at Grade II this morning.

No doubt Dairycrest will appeal, but thank you Andy Burnham.

 

[Manders]

There is no statutory right of appeal against a buildings listing. The owner (or anybody else) can write to the DCMS within 28 days asking for the inclusion in the listing to be reviewed. Also, anybody can write to ask for the building to be de-listed but this would have to be based on there being a fundamental misunderstanding of the building, its alteration since listing having reduced its heritage value, or that the factual information relied upon to assess the building was incorrect.

Got to give credit to all those that kept the pressure on.

 

[Nemesis]

I know - I'm pretty well aware of the details, I have the updated version of the revisions to the principles of selection (March 2007) sent to me by the DCMS on the desk beside me - but I bet they seek a review of the decision, and possibly a de-listing application. I called it an appeal as shorthand. There's always the threat of judicial review too.

A rather pleasing send off for Adam at SAVE, leaving at the end of the month, though.

 

[Nemesis]

BBC report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7287696.stm

 

[Nemesis]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/03/14/eabrunel114.xml