09.09.2006

Crane becomes involved in dispute

A Unic 376CL mini crane has become a pawn in a dispute over the safety of Hastings Pier in the south of England. According to the local council the crane was sneaked on to the pier, part of which the council ordered to be closed in June, when parts of the structure were seen to fall into the sea.

The chains blocking the pier to any heavy traffic were cut early on Wednesday morning and the Unic crane, weighing nearly over 3.5 tonnes, was placed in one of the buildings on the part of the structure which is apparently at risk. The outriggers have been extended to prevent it being dragged out through the door.
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A Unic crane on guard at Hastings Pier

The local council has slammed the move as reckless and says that the HSE should close the entire pier down. The Piers owner…or operator.. Ravenclaw says that the crane is simply in place to carry out repairs. commercial manager Harmesh Pooni is quoted as saying “"The crane weighs almost four tonnes - the same weight as lots of people and the fact no further damage seems to have taken place proves the structure is safe."

The two protagonists meet in court on Tuesday when the court must decide whether or not it supports the council's decision to close the pier or not.
Ravenclaw was supposed to have delivered a full structural survey to prove that the structure was safe, but this has so far not happened.

Kevin Boorman of Hastings council said: "This is reckless. The Health and Safety Executive knows about the crane and could use its powers to close the entire pier with no notice."

Traders who have lost business can sue the council under Section 106/107 of the Buildings Act 1984. However if the court finds that the council acted reasonably and orders the pier to remain closed, any compensation could be offset by legal action against the owners - which could result in the council taking control of the pier.