Leas Lift Folkestone at risk

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Leas Lift Folkestone at risk

Postby EAS » 20 Apr 2009, 15:01

From the Victorian Society website:

http://www.victoriansociety.org.uk/news ... t-at-risk/


Rare water-powered lift at risk
An historic seaside lift is facing an uncertain future after the local authority which operates it decided to end its lease. The Leas Lift in Folkestone in Kent is one of only three Victorian cliff lifts still powered simply by water and gravity.


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Not good news!

The Victorian Society is extremely concerned that allowing such a lift to fall out of use could signal the end of the line for this Grade-II listed historic structure.

'Experience has shown us that once a building such as this is neglected, even for a short time, it quickly becomes incredibly difficult to bring it back into use,' said Heloise Brown, Conservation Adviser for the Victorian Society. 'Without regular maintenance the cost of renovation goes up and up and becomes harder to justify.'

Shepway District Council says it can no longer afford to run the lift system, as the running costs and maintenance far exceed the income from ticket sales. But without a new operator in place the Leas Lift could close as early as next week.

It has been transporting tourists and locals from the top of the cliff down to beach level for more than 120 years. The water-balance mechanism is sufficiently rare that the building has been listed at Grade II. This means Shepway District Council has a responsibility to guard against neglect, and if necessary ensure that the Radnor estate, which owns the lift, carries out repairs.

How does the lift work?

Once the lower car is loaded the toll collector contacts the brakesman at the top. To set the carriages in motion the brake is released and the cistern values opened allowing enough water into the tank of the upper car until its weight exceeds that of the lower car and its passengers. On arrival at the bottom the toll collector releases the water out of the tank. The Leas Lift was built for the Folkestone Lift Company by Messrs Waygood and Co in 1885. Only two other water balance lifts still operate; one in Saltburn in Yorkshire (listed at Grade-II*) and the other at Lynton and Lynmouth in north Devon (Grade II).

Heloise Brown added, ‘The Leas Lift must be kept going until a new operator can be found or this rare example of Victorian architecture and engineering will be lost to future generations'

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Our Lift

Postby cliffc » 21 Apr 2009, 12:55

Hi

I am fortunate to live near Saltburn by The Sea the location of one of the other examples of this kind of lift, fortuantely our council who own and operate the one in Saltburn are keeping it going and have spent cash on it to bring it up to current safety standards, however with the current pressures on council spending who knows how much longer thay will do this, however in the season I beleve the Saltburn Cliff Lift gets good patronage.

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Postby EAS » 21 Apr 2009, 23:22

Thanks - yes I know the magnificent Saltburn one, it's such a wonderful feature of the place I think it's not in any danger.

Plenty of pictures here:

http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/salt.htm



I posted about this on the seaside forum, Zoidstar said:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Southend Cliff Lift has started the second phase of its restoration this saw the car removed and sent away for restoration, a tented structure has been erected over the track to enable a complete referbishment to be under taken.

Works to bring the lift back into service were delt a major set back after the first stage of restoration as the EU dicided that the Funicular was infact a cable car dipite the fact it ran on tracks!

A complete new breaking system has had to be designed and built to blend in with the iron work on the Grade 2 listed structure.

It is hoped the lift will reopen within a year.


(pics: http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/south.htm)

So I hope this won't have ramifications for other places.

There's more about the Leas lift here:

http://kn.theiet.org/magazine/issues/08 ... e-0811.cfm

and more about other cliff railways and cable hauled tramways here:

http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/

By co-incidence I was browsing through some past holiday shots this week and came across a number I took of this:

http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/bridge.htm

The Castle Hill Railway, Bridgnorth, Shropshire was built in 1892 to connect the high town and low town. It vertically rises 36m over a distance of 61m. The railway operates two carriages on parallel tracks. Connected by steel cables, the carriages serve to counterbalance each other - as one rises to the top station, the other runs to the bottom station. The cars are now powered by an electric winding engine, but were originally driven by a system of water balance, each carriage carrying water ballast in a tank beneath the passenger compartment. It was converted from water / gravity power to electricity in 1943.


Margate:

http://www.hows.org.uk/personal/rail/mar.htm


I posted this also on the seaside forum, but I'll put a link here too in case anyone is interested:

http://www.joylandbooks.co.uk/forum/vie ... php?t=1816

Mad but fun!
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Postby EAS » 25 Apr 2009, 09:22

Possibly it was tempting fate writing about cliff lifts, because yesterday the BBC News website reported this:

Blunder traps eight on cliff lift

The town's cliff lifts date back to 1875. Picture courtesy Scarborough council.

Eight people were stranded in a cliff-side lift for more than an hour after workers turned it off and went home.

The passengers, three elderly people and a family of five, were stuck halfway up Scarborough's South Cliff after the lift system was shut down.


More here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nort ... 017535.stm
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Saltburn Cliff L:ift Vandal Suffers Vandal Damage

Postby cliffc » 12 May 2009, 08:12

HI

Unfortuantely the lift at Saltburn has been out of action for a few days due to an act of vandalisam that broke the main water supply pipe with a large stone. Links to BBC Tees Story's below

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 035398.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 037591.stm

The good news is that Redcar And Cleveland council have now done the repairs on the lift and its back up and running again.

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Postby EAS » 14 May 2009, 07:48

Thanks Cliff!

My Other Half is booked in for a visit to Saltburn soon (work related) and he loves the lift, would have been most upset not to have been able to use it, how sad that someone vandalised it!
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Friends Of The Leas Lift

Postby richreeve » 16 Jul 2009, 09:54

Soon after the lift closed I and two others set up the Friends of the Leas Lift, we quickly set up a website, produced window posters, Tweeted, FaceBooked, bloged and began talking to businesses. We had some early success and found a highly qualified engineer to help us with Health & Safety, he also introduced us to Friends of the Babbacombe water balance lift.

The local council has been helpful as have the owner of the lift, we have also received support from local businesses. The local Lib/Dem's started a petition and got 2,000 signatures.

We go out and talk to people on the street to get their opinion and everybody we speak to wants to keep the lift. But guess what, they do not want to do anything about it, they do not want to become members, write to anyone, donate or even help work the lifts. The reality is I do not think the people of Folkestone care too much about heritage.

http://www.folkestone-leas-lifts.com
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Leas Lift Update

Postby richreeve » 22 Jul 2009, 22:57

We have moved on with trying to save the Leas Water Balance Lift. We have a top engineer who is providing advice and help free. The local council has been helpful as have local businesses. We have had a donation from Saudi Arabia and have been promised grants if and when we take on the lease.

With the grants that have been agreed we have raised £100,000 though that will not be transferred until we have set up a CIC and agreed a lease. The owner of the lift, Lord Radnor has said he will not issue a lease until the council have paid £300,000 in dilapidations and had said this will take a year to resolve. Our engineer says that by then the repairs will be even more than the value of the lift.

It has taken us 22 days to raise £100,000 and in the time we have not been offered any help by the people of Folkestone, it makes you wonder if it is worth doing when the local support is nil.

http://www.folkestone-leas-lifts.com
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Postby CJ » 24 Jul 2009, 13:36

I wonder if apathy is in fact a nationwide disease. Folkestone has recently lost almost all its traditional sites and visitor attractions. Almost no voices of anger have been raised and residents have quietly accepted the spiral of decline.

Folkestone Harbour is now a disgraceful eyesore, fit only for the numerous seagulls to deposit their waste. The Folkestone Leas Lifts are a last chance for residents and nationwide heritage campaigners to stand up and be counted.

By the end of this year there may be only 2 working water lifts in the UK. Please add your support by registering on the website www.folkestone-leas-lifts.com . It is free to join as a member.
Save the Leas Lifts ..... www.folkestone-leas-lifts.com
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Postby EAS » 24 Jul 2009, 15:35

It is indeed all very dreadful; I'm not sure that all are apathetic, many people do wage long and hard campaigns on behalf of our national heritage, as with the Save Dreamland Campaign, but I agree, it's a battle.

Do keep the Victorian Society updated, and I have given information about this to SAVE Britain's Heritage.

It would be sad indeed for this not to work again, and fall into disrepair.
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Postby CJ » 26 Jul 2009, 11:22

Thank you for your support.

If anyone else has contacts they can make aware of the situation in Folkestone then please link to our website www.folkestone-leas-lifts.com
Save the Leas Lifts ..... www.folkestone-leas-lifts.com
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Postby EAS » 26 Jul 2009, 16:22

Am I correct in thinking this is in some way connected with Lord Radnor?

So was this I recall (Longford Estates)

http://www.savebritainsheritage.org/new ... .php?id=45


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_a ... 150451.ece
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Postby CJ » 26 Jul 2009, 16:45

Indeed. This is a battle between The Radnor estate and Shepway DC and at the heart of the issue of saving the Lifts is the small matter of the Lease.

Folkestone is currently being torn apart by local landowners, as they fight to ensure the local residents pay them, to keep their fortunes intact.

The lifts are but a pawn in a game of Chess.
Save the Leas Lifts ..... www.folkestone-leas-lifts.com
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Postby EAS » 26 Jul 2009, 17:14

Hmmmm. In which case a bit of adverse publicity never comes amiss, IMHO! 8)

Can I suggest you contact Will Palin, Sec of SAVE, yourself, and give him the background?

I have sent him an e-mail connecting to this thread, but some local knowledge is always a good thing.

It would be very dreadful indeed if the Lifts were to not operate and be at the mercy of the elements and worse (as we know re the Scenic).

Have you also contacted the Architectural Heritage Fund re setting up a Trust?

Please watch this, anyone reading this thread!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiAfywXe ... r_embedded
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Postby CJ » 27 Jul 2009, 09:30

We shall indeed follow up your kind suggestions.
Many thanks.
Save the Leas Lifts ..... www.folkestone-leas-lifts.com
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