Blackpool's new tramshed now only expected to last 20 years

[randyrippley]

"Blackpool's decade-old £20m tram depot faces huge repair bill after judge says its lifespan is 20 years and not 50"​

https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/...ars-and-not-50-3070304?itm_source=parsely-api

Now, after a judge said the landmark building was built to last for just half its intended 50-year lifespan, the council faces another major headache over the multi-million pound project, which is riddled with problems.
Town hall chiefs face finding the cash for repairs totalling millions for the depot, which is being bombarded by the salty sea air and winds, as early as 2031 instead of in 2061.

The council said "significant parts" of the depot will never last for the half-century it had expected and are unfit for their exposed coastal location.

But VolkerFitzpatrick, which employs more than 850 people, argued "the contractual design life is either 25 years or 20 years depending on the element in question" and said the authority was to blame because it failed to properly maintain the building.

Awarding the council £1.12m, significantly less than the £6.7m it wanted, His Honour Judge Stephen Davies said: "I am satisfied that the design life obligation period is either 20 or 25 years rather than 50 years," and said some components don't need replacing, with repairs acceptable in a number of cases.

Looks like the tramshed simply can't stand the constant battering from the sea....but anyone could have told them putting a metal shed on the seafront was a daft idea

 

[Geeves]

Hardly surprising, I wonder how the trams themselves are standing up to the weather? I was always of the mindset they should've just lowered the depot and put an earth roof over the top or just put it below an extended promenade.

 

[Clip]

Everyone of us local knew this wasn't a good idea. And there was no way it was ever going to last 20 years let alone 50!!

They should've just found more space by the old one

 

[LOL The Irony]

I do wonder if rebuilding Rigby Road or building a new tramshed inland in say Fleetwood would be a better option than continuing with Starr Gate.

I wonder how the trams themselves are standing up to the weather?

According to the main Blackpool thread, tram 7 is allegedly OOS with some sort of problem, but the op didn't elaborate or provide further evidence. I myself have seen signs of corrosion around the various flaps and whatnot.

 

[37424]

Wow you didn't need to be super bright to work that out but they went ahead and built it

 

[Wolfie]

When does GWR's new Dawlish facility open? Such a thing would be about as bloody sensible!

 

[43021HST]

I wonder if the shed was built in the area, as that's what was only suitable at the time. I imagine building something that requires a rail connection without too much expense, really restricts where you can build. Calling the planners stupid or short sighted is one thing but there's always a logical reason, even if it is only temporary.

 

[Wolfie]

I wonder if the shed was built in the area, as that's what was only suitable at the time. I imagine building something that requires a rail connection without too much expense, really restricts where you can build. Calling the planners stupid or short sighted is one thing but there's always a logical reason, even if it is only temporary.

I agree your logic actually, except that you don't then assume that such a facility has a 50 year lifespan.

 

[Clip]

I wonder if the shed was built in the area, as that's what was only suitable at the time. I imagine building something that requires a rail connection without too much expense, really restricts where you can build. Calling the planners stupid or short sighted is one thing but there's always a logical reason, even if it is only temporary.

They wanted it built there as the gateway to Blackpool not because it was the only suitable place.

The old depot could easily have been expanded and the buses moved elsewhere

 

[Whistler40145]

The day Blackpool Transport or Blackpool Council do work that doesn't require complete replacement would be an absolute miracle

 

[Ashley Hill]

Opposite Rigby Road were several areas where evidence of former tramway connected buildings could be seen used as (staff?) car parks. Has that land now been built on?

 

[Clip]

Opposite Rigby Road were several areas where evidence of former tramway connected buildings could be seen used as (staff?) car parks. Has that land now been built on?

Not all of it. But there's still plenty of space in rigby road. You can look in if you go to the car park on seasiders way

 

[507 001]

Hardly surprising, I wonder how the trams themselves are standing up to the weather? I was always of the mindset they should've just lowered the depot and put an earth roof over the top or just put it below an extended promenade.

Well Metrolink’s Flexitys are suffering from corrosion under the floors, so presumably the Blackpool ones are worse.

 

[WatcherZero]

The Blackpools are a different model, and were marinized to help cope with the caustic environment through use of stainless steel rather than regular steel components.

 

[AngelicUpstart]

Opposite Rigby Road were several areas where evidence of former tramway connected buildings could be seen used as (staff?) car parks. Has that land now been built on?

Knowing one of the people involved in the planning of Starr Gate Depot, it was one of only two possible places that they could build a depot in Blackpool without having to apply for a TWA which would have slowed down the project or without closing Rigby Road depot for an entire year which would have caused chaos for bus and trams as the existing workshops would have had to have been demolished to make way for a new depot. The other site was Anchorsholme Park by Little Bispham Turning Circle, that was ruled out as it was required for a massive sewer project and they were unsure how much land would be available.

Blackpool Council did look at sites in Fleetwood but they would have all required TWAs and at Thornton Gate, not an ideal shape site, and also thought that the depot should be in the Blackpool Council area.

 

[david1212]

Having chosen Starr Gate the failure seems to be neither designing a building that would withstand the environment for 50+ years or if in real terms more economic designing it in a modular way so as components deteriorated each could be easily and cheaply replaced with minimal disruption.

 

[pieguyrob]

Opposite Rigby Road were several areas where evidence of former tramway connected buildings could be seen used as (staff?) car parks. Has that land now been built on?

The old Blundell Road tramshed and the surrounding area, has now been redeveloped as part of the Foxhall Village development. They are prefab houses. The original developer went bust before covid happened. So that is a non starter now for a new tram depot. Theree is a convenient spot next to north station though! Though, something tells me the council don't want a tram depot in the town centre!

 

[Vespa]

I did wonder why they didn't build a barrier wall on the seaward side to deflect the worst of the sea spray or an earth embankment to do the same job.

Blackpool trams old and new always had this problem with salt, sand and sea spray.

As far as I can understand modern trams can't go into Rigby road because the track layouts and the tram body length being incompatable according to the tram staffs I have spoken to.

 

[pieguyrob]

Blackpool council come across as having more money than sense at times.

 

[507 001]

The Blackpools are a different model, and were marinized to help cope with the caustic environment through use of stainless steel rather than regular steel components.

Well obviously they’re different models (I drive the Manchester ones) but there’s a lot of similarities.

 

[WatcherZero]

They are generation apart, its like Pacers and Sprinters though as the same manufacturer im sure theres a lot of parts commonality.
Apparently the engineers design brief with the Flexity 2 wasnt to create an entirely clean sheet model but to take the best bits of the various families Flexity Classic, Swift, Link and Outlook etc.. some of which Bombardier acquired from other companies and to merge them into a single common design that reflected 20 years of updates since the original Flexity. The idea is the other models would be phased out when the follow-on orders dry up and Bombardier now only lists the Flexity 2 on its website (with pages for the Blackpool and Gold Coast orders), its removed the pages that used to be on the website for the other models like the Swift.

 

[edwin_m]

As Bombardier transport is going to Alstom I imagine the Flexity will be dropped in favour of Citadis for everything.

 

[Wolfie]

As Bombardier transport is going to Alstom I imagine the Flexity will be dropped in favour of Citadis for everything.

Not necessarily. Alstom, if they are sensible, will evaluate both designs. If there is demand for both....

 

[DJ_K666]

...caustic environment...

I didn't know they went that close to the Blackpool North concourse.


I'll get my coat.

 

[Wolfie]

I didn't know they went that close to the Blackpool North concourse.


I'll get my coat.

That would be "hostile environment"...

 

[DJ_K666]

That would be "hostile environment"...

True that.