Beloved sculpture to be removed
A much-loved piece of public art in Swalwell is going to be dismantled this weekend so its condition can be assessed.
The "Derwent Walk Express" has been in place since the 1980s, close to the entrance of Derwent Walk Country Park. It is now in a poor condition due to long-term exposure to the elements.
The sculpture was built from plywood, so was never expected to last as long as it has done.
We are concerned that the sculpture in its current condition is a risk to the general public during high winds as some panels have already come loose and been lost.
Lindsay Murray, service director for economic development and regeneration, said:
"We know the Derwent Walk Express sculpture is a beloved and unique piece of artwork in Swalwell, but safety has to come first so we're going to remove the piece temporarily.
"This will let us make the area safe and carry out more detailed inspection of the work so that we can see if it can be repaired and displayed again.
"We have spoken to the artist Andy Frost who is supportive of this approach."
The old bridge structure itself is the property of Network Rail, and the council is working with them on this project. The sculpture was fully refurbished in 2005.
The rear and approach sections are planned to be removed today (Friday 5th), with the front face removed on Sunday (7th Dec) with the road being partially closed to keep the workforce safe.
The artwork and the bridge have both been Grade 2 listed since 2016, so the law requires that Listed Building Consent (LBC) is required to make changes.
In this case, we have had discussions with Historic England and it has been agreed that given the nature of the risks with the structure, removal can take place this weekend, and then we can apply for LBC retrospectively.
A much-loved piece of public art in Swalwell is going to be dismantled this weekend so its condition can be assessed.
The "Derwent Walk Express" has been in place since the 1980s, close to the entrance of Derwent Walk Country Park. It is now in a poor condition due to long-term exposure to the elements.
The sculpture was built from plywood, so was never expected to last as long as it has done.
We are concerned that the sculpture in its current condition is a risk to the general public during high winds as some panels have already come loose and been lost.
Lindsay Murray, service director for economic development and regeneration, said:
"We know the Derwent Walk Express sculpture is a beloved and unique piece of artwork in Swalwell, but safety has to come first so we're going to remove the piece temporarily.
"This will let us make the area safe and carry out more detailed inspection of the work so that we can see if it can be repaired and displayed again.
"We have spoken to the artist Andy Frost who is supportive of this approach."
The old bridge structure itself is the property of Network Rail, and the council is working with them on this project. The sculpture was fully refurbished in 2005.
The rear and approach sections are planned to be removed today (Friday 5th), with the front face removed on Sunday (7th Dec) with the road being partially closed to keep the workforce safe.
The artwork and the bridge have both been Grade 2 listed since 2016, so the law requires that Listed Building Consent (LBC) is required to make changes.
In this case, we have had discussions with Historic England and it has been agreed that given the nature of the risks with the structure, removal can take place this weekend, and then we can apply for LBC retrospectively.
