Earlier today, Kevin visited Oldway after Torbay Council issued a statement this morning relating to work being undertaken urgently after the condition of the East Tower reached a critical point.
Helpfully representatives from Torbay Council, the TDA and the specialist architects working on the project were on site when Kevin visited. This gave Kevin a chance to discuss the latest news and developments, plus get some questions answered about what will happen next.
Residents living directly opposite the works have today received a hand-delivered letter from Torbay Council outlining arrangements for access to their homes and parking vehicles nearby. Please note Oldway Road is currently closed to through traffic, but you can still access the entrance to Oldway from the Upper Manor Road end of it.
The news today follows the start of work by specialist contractors on Tuesday (22 August). The contractors, working with heritage and conservation experts, started to carefully deconstruct part of the East Tower at Oldway, after an inspection indicated the condition of the Tower had reached a critical point.
Kevin was advised that as work got underway, which included numbering bricks and removing the parapet from the top of the Tower, contractors had to stop work after concerns were raised about the rapidly deteriorating condition of the structure. As pieces of the building were removed, almost all the parapet columns failed or broke when moved. Due to changing pressures within the structure, bricks also began to fall along with other loose material. The roof of the tower had already partially collapsed before the works started.
On this basis, work was stopped as Structural Engineers and Health and Safety specialists were called to the site to undertake an emergency assessment of the building. With little lateral support inside the Tower, which could mean the structure collapses in on itself, putting nearby structures and neighbouring properties at risk, immediate remedial action is required.
Works therefore commenced this morning to remove the top level of the East Tower (This is the brick work above the grey line of masonry you can see about 2/3rd the way up on the photo opposite) due to the increasing risk of it collapsing. Structural Engineers, along with Health and Safety officers are on the site and will make any additional height reduction decisions should they be required. Kevin was advised this will depend on whether further parts of the East Tower collapse as unstable elements are removed.
The Council advises its contractors will endeavour to save and store as much of the original brickwork as possible for reinstallation or use at a later date. You can read more on Torbay Council’s website by following the link below:
https://www.torbay.gov.uk/news/pr8958/
This latest news again brings home the need to identify a long-term plan and sustainable funding streams for Oldway Mansion and its surrounding buildings. Claims earlier this year that a single lottery bid would deliver all the funding required were unrealistic, especially as the overall bill was estimated to have hit £30m. Similarly, a long claimed “Plan B for Oldway” did not materialise over the last 4 years when given the chance to.
Torbay Council’s Cabinet is due to discuss a detailed report on the recent consultation exercise in November, with a view to identifying a way forward. Kevin has already offered to support the Council in working with Government and heritage groups to find a mixture of funding to do so, especially via the new levelling up partnership.
The Paignton Picture House, after 2 decades of being closed, is an inspiring example of what can be done where a group of volunteers, Torbay Council and experts dedicated to its heritage develop a realistic business plan and secure funding from several sources, including over £4m from Government. It is now set to be fully open within the next 2 years, with the frontage having already been restored. A similar approach is needed at Oldway.
