Durham Police lose bid to destroy Grade II listed radio mast
A police force has been refused permission to demolish a protected former radio mast designed by renowned engineer Ove Arup and Partners.
The mast, which was installed in 1968, was designed by Ove Arup and Partners, who engineered Sydney Opera House and Durham's Kingsgate Bridge.
Durham Police was given permission to dismantle it in 2017 to allow a housing development to be built on its old headquarters site.
A condition of the planning permission was that it should be retained and re-erected at its new HQ in Aykley Heads.
The 49.4 metre structure has been laid down in a storage area and covered in tarpaulin next to the HQ ever since.
Durham Constabulary applied to demolish the mast after calculating the cost of putting it back up would be £496,000, with maintenance estimated at £421,900, and an additional £56,600 for the erection of security fencing.
Potentially re-erecting it at another site is not considered a viable option.
Building a warehouse to store the mast for future generations would cost a further £750,000 up front, plus £30,000 to £70,000 a year running costs, while burial would cost an estimated £460,000. Instead, demolition at a cost of about £223,800 was considered as a final option by Durham Police.
Gary Ridley, chief finance officer for Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner, told a Durham County Council planning meeting: “The PCC accepts its historical significance and the damage that would be done were it not to be re-erected.
"That said, the mast has no practical commercial, sentimental or operational value for the force.
“I would stress that there is very limited scope for more cash savings to be taken out of the force. This puts us in a very difficult position financially because we cannot sack police officers.
“I am deeply aware of the value that PCSO’s play in terms of community engagement but if we are forced to having to pay for the mast to be re-erected there is a real likelihood that we may be forced to suspend recruitment of PCSO’s for up to two years. This would undermine visible policing in our communities.”
However, the application was rejected by councillors at a county planning meeting on Tuesday 7 February.
Members said the structure is of historical and architectural significance given it was once a key part of the city’s landscape. Councillors also questioned why the capital funding received from the sale of the former HQ site had not been saved – but the force said it had been spent on officer recruitment and services.
Cllr Liz Brown said: “This is like someone knocking down Durham Cathedral. This is an iconic listed structure, until 2012 it was on the skyline. I think the police are being disingenuous by saying: ‘oh we can’t afford it now’. The money should have been earmarked to do this.”
Cllr Kevin Shaw was one of only two members who voted for a deferment to the application. “The financial impact on Durham Constabulary does outweigh any benefit of resighting the mast. We should have further dialogue with them,” he said.
It is not yet known if the force will appeal the council’s refusal to demolish the mast.
A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: “The force will be working closely with the Police and Crime Commissioner to work through the implications of this decision in terms of service delivery and the broader impact on the public.”
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