Coal fired Power Stations

I suspect that as much as anything it will depend what the long term master plan is for the site and the associated viability thereof, the cynic in me, if I were a betting man, would be that a plan will be hatched to save a tower as part of the master plan for the redevelopment of the public areas of the site in association with the 'energy hub' and after that is done we will see an appeal launched in say 30 years to pay for much needed maintenance of the tower as no one considered long term management of it when the glossy public access scheme was agreed and signed off.

 

Sadly true. But when I read Private Eye and see Piloti complaining about a minor celebrity structure (recent example, a hotel built to an outline design by Arthur Conan-Doyle that falls below the criteria for listing), and then hear that something that has been a major feature of the landscape for decades is too expensive, I do wonder about priorities.

 

Not read PE for a while, but as someone who works in the trade a lot of what is written by Piloti is not particularly credible nor practical TBH. Whatever 'priorities' are the money has to come from somewhere, even if something warrants entry on the statutory list in the main that just transfers any liability for upkeep/enhancement onto an owner in the private sector, where once again basic viability rears its head.

 

I agree. My point is that amidst all the hoo ha about losing this or that (frankly, equivalent to the fuss over which factory built which locomotive in a widespread class), we're losing sight of things that are much more significant.

 

I suspect we are broadly saying the same thing, long and short is that entry onto the list is (much as with railway heritage) due to personal sentiment and mobilisation rather than any overall structured process (systematic surveys ended years ago and these days its reactive not proactive). I suppose my point re cooling towers is that whilst it may be possible to find the money to retain and restore one, the kicker will be trying to find a revenue source regarding the retained structure which then funds its long term protection and management. I've done 10's of projects where we've rehabilitated and restored 'x', getting that cash is normally the 'easy' part, its getting the cash for the next 50 years of managing the thing that's the problem.

 

I grew up near Ratcliffe-on-Soar and I'd love the cooling towers to be listed and preserved (and better keep the boiler house chimney too), but it has to be all-or-nothing. They're a 2x4 grid like a giant lego brick and a prominent landmark for miles around; one on its own would just look silly. (And no, I have no idea who would pay for their upkeep once they become mere monuments.)

And in the medium term, I still hope one day to get a photo of a 9F on a Windcutter north of Barnstone tunnel with the cooling towers in the background...
Angleterre - Google Maps {Sorry my Google is in French, it's a work computer thing...}
Zoom in on the power station, the railway embankment is just below and left.

 

It’s not the initial preservation that’ll be the problem, it’s finding suitable undercover storage…

Simon

 

How many in a row would make a linear scrapyard?

 

Are there various sizes of cooling towers? Could you stack them one inside each other like giant Russian nesting dolls?

 

You need to ring Mammoet and ask if they have a crane big enough to do the lift

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