megilleland Posted February 4, 2017 Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 Skylon Park Tower, Rotherwas - P163996/F Junction of The Straight Mile and B4399 Rotherwas Hereford HR2 6JL Change of use to high quality public open space and a landmark public art feature. Application for a Skylon Tower, a 46m high, vertical, corten steel landmark feature located within the heart of Skylon Park, Hereford Enterprise Zone. Skylon Proposed Plans 2017 4 (5).pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted February 4, 2017 Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 A very high and a very high quality scheme - all very laudable but I wonder how much it will cost and who is to pay for it. The road surface on the straight mile is terrible and rapidly getting worse with potholes developing on that very roundabout. Rather than looking to the skies, how about looking down and doing some basic housekeeping? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted February 4, 2017 Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 Few pics of the original being built etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted February 4, 2017 Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 The applicant is Hereford Enterprise Zone who also it seems own the land. The applicant also states that no pre-application advice has been sought from Herefordshire Council, which is rather surprising (or perhaps not, as increasingly the LEP are running the County). Fair does, they have submitted the most extensive design and access statement I have ever seen. It seems they put a ballon up to 46m and then took photos from just about everywhere in a 3 mile radius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megilleland Posted February 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2017 A very high and a very high quality scheme - all very laudable but I wonder how much it will cost and who is to pay for it. The road surface on the straight mile is terrible and rapidly getting worse with potholes developing on that very roundabout. Rather than looking to the skies, how about looking down and doing some basic housekeeping? I hope it is going be carefully maintained to the same high standards witnessed in other parts of our city and county. I was thinking about all the other high quality, public open spaces we used to have until the council and Balfour Beatty decided that they needed as little attention as possible, giving us our own special local art installations to view on our way into Hereford. Here are some past creative installations, artists unknown, which could be seen regularly most days of the week and throughout the year. Take it easy - what's cooking? Overflowing with pride Study in Green Rest awhile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise Lloyd Posted February 5, 2017 Report Share Posted February 5, 2017 The Tories just do not understand the tidy as you go along and good housekeeping teachings - roads open spaces the list is getting longer each day Is this proposed thing to serve any useful purpose or is it just something to look at in awe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted February 5, 2017 Report Share Posted February 5, 2017 "Skylon Tower will be beacon to existing and future investors attracted to the world class business landscape provided on the Hereford Enterprise Zone.†The Skylon Tower will aid inward investment by putting the enterprise zone literally on the map, and reinforcing the message “Here We Canâ€. Whether those aims are useful or not is open to debate. Although they claim the site will host 'pop up events' (yeuch) there is no provision at all for parking or easy pedestrian access or hard surfaces for such things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie May Posted February 5, 2017 Report Share Posted February 5, 2017 I agree with Denise. After the weather this week which seems to have lifted quite a few of the "dodgy road repairs" I really wish some money could be spent on maintaining what we have got. How can anyone look up at such a tall edifice if you have to watch every step, or where you are going so you don't have a bad accident. In Hereford the Council need to admit "They Can't" do what we pay our local taxes for so please stop all these vanity projects. If I was travelling to the Skylon Park I would be very unimpressed by such a tall structure if I was having to avoid potholes. Also the design of the structure makes me think it might help collect some of the ubiquitous plastic bags, fast food rubbish and other detritus that Megilleland has so well highlighted in his photo which will get caught up in all those wires. I think Megilleland's photos are worthy of a Turner Prize award so perhaps this should be the basis of a landmark public art feature in Rotherwas and more in keeping with the council's aspirations for the County. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 I agree with Denise. After the weather this week which seems to have lifted quite a few of the "dodgy road repairs" I really wish some money could be spent on maintaining what we have got. How can anyone look up at such a tall edifice if you have to watch every step, or where you are going so you don't have a bad accident. In Hereford the Council need to admit "They Can't" do what we pay our local taxes for so please stop all these vanity projects. If I was travelling to the Skylon Park I would be very unimpressed by such a tall structure if I was having to avoid potholes. Also the design of the structure makes me think it might help collect some of the ubiquitous plastic bags, fast food rubbish and other detritus that Megilleland has so well highlighted in his photo which will get caught up in all those wires. I think Megilleland's photos are worthy of a Turner Prize award so perhaps this should be the basis of a landmark public art feature in Rotherwas and more in keeping with the council's aspirations for the County. I wish people would read stories etc before commenting. This will be built using private money and has nothing to do with potholes and the Council. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 It's not private money - it's public money via local and central government, safely held in an 'arms length' arrangement so that the pesky public do not have access to information. The Hereford Enterprise Zone is part of the Marches LEP, and even the minutes of meetings of the LEP are now being redacted. As the Leader of Herefordshire Council sits on the Board of the LEP, it's fair to say that it has everything to do with the Council. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megilleland Posted February 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 All business rates growth generated by the Enterprise Zone is kept by the relevant local enterprise partnership and local authorities in the areas for 25 years to reinvest in local economic growth. For the Local Enterprise Partnerships with Enterprise Zones, this represents the government’s most significant commitment to long-term economic growth. Businesses that locate on an Enterprise Zone can access a number of benefits: Up to 100% business rate discount worth up to £275,000 per business over a 5-year period So a few years before the council sees any money from the re-locations. HEREFORD ENTERPRISE ZONE EXECUTIVE BOARD 13 SEPTEMBER 2016 Skylon Tower NK updated the Board on progress. He continued to seek funding to support this project (costs of approx. £200k) and had a major sponsor in mind. He was seeking others to bridge the gap. By designing the tower to support telecoms, this could result in an income which could be offset against ongoing maintenance of the tower and site. A full planning application was being prepared. The possibility of approaching Taylor Lane for use of part of their car park for visitors to the site on evenings and weekends was suggested. Skylon Park website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megilleland Posted February 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 I agree with Denise. After the weather this week which seems to have lifted quite a few of the "dodgy road repairs" I really wish some money could be spent on maintaining what we have got. How can anyone look up at such a tall edifice if you have to watch every step, or where you are going so you don't have a bad accident. In Hereford the Council need to admit "They Can't" do what we pay our local taxes for so please stop all these vanity projects. If I was travelling to the Skylon Park I would be very unimpressed by such a tall structure if I was having to avoid potholes. Also the design of the structure makes me think it might help collect some of the ubiquitous plastic bags, fast food rubbish and other detritus that Megilleland has so well highlighted in his photo which will get caught up in all those wires. I think Megilleland's photos are worthy of a Turner Prize award so perhaps this should be the basis of a landmark public art feature in Rotherwas and more in keeping with the council's aspirations for the County. This chap was nominated for a 2012 Turner Prize. Born in Northumberland, Noble now lives and works in London where he produces elaborate drawings. For the past 16 years he has worked on his fictional metropolis, Nobson Newtown, creating drawings that are monumental in scale but painstaking in their detail. In the words of the jury, it is “a dystopian world where people become turds and turds become peopleâ€. Noble created Public Toilet 1999, which features phantasmagoric scenery “complete with imposing mountain formations overcast by thick clouds depositing huge droplets over the exposed urinals and showersâ€. http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/articles/two-minute-turner-paul-noble http://www.tate.org.uk/art/images/work/T/T13/T13325_10.jpg http://www.tate.org.uk/art/images/work/P/P78/P78399_10.jpg https://drawingroom.org.uk/images/artists/_large/Noble,-Paul.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted February 6, 2017 Report Share Posted February 6, 2017 So a few years before the council sees any money from the re-locations. HEREFORD ENTERPRISE ZONE EXECUTIVE BOARD 13 SEPTEMBER 2016 Skylon Park website I read those minutes - the ref to £200k was ambiguous. For sure it will cost way more than that to build, so is this just fees? As for ongoing maintenance - ha, we all know that the Council do not maintain any of their assets, ever, despite taking the money for doing so. I expect this to be no different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie May Posted February 7, 2017 Report Share Posted February 7, 2017 I read those minutes - the ref to £200k was ambiguous. For sure it will cost way more than that to build, so is this just fees? As for ongoing maintenance - ha, we all know that the Council do not maintain any of their assets, ever, despite taking the money for doing so. I expect this to be no different. Haven't the council recently said it will not manage any new public open spaces because it hasn't got the money? Perhaps the Skylon Tower is a measuring stick to see how high they can get the grass to grow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragwert Posted February 9, 2017 Report Share Posted February 9, 2017 I see an objection by Cath Greenow...Why wouldn't she its right in her back yard Out of character for the area? Maybe a housing est but an industrial site.Does not reflect the local industrial heritage of Rotherwas...Bit lame that one.And loss of visual amenity.Now that is really scraping the barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted February 9, 2017 Report Share Posted February 9, 2017 It's Kath Greenow and she was writing on behalf of the Lower Bullingham Parish Council, not as an individual. That said, a very lame 30 word objection. Did they read the several hundred pages of the design statement and supporting documents before coming to their conclusion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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