PRESS RELEASE – SEPTEMBER 2,
2013
Great strides, an enormous effort and significant
investment has moved the Island's railways in a new and
generally positive direction over the last five years, a
position long advocated and campaigned for by this Society.
But this period of positiveness is under serious threat.
Recently it was finally announced that the historically
significant Manx Electric Railway Mercury Arc-Rectifier and
equipment housed within the sub-station at Laxey for the
last eighty years is to be removed in the hope that it may
eventually find a home in another building on the railway.
This intriguing piece of electrical kit has fascinated
generations and successfully powered the railway until
earlier this year, its appearance often being compared to
science fiction or something you might find on Doctor Who.
Over the last few years the historic significance has been
recognised by the Government with the rectifier featuring
heavily in railway special events, the sub-station being
open to the public, as a sort of working museum, and which
has proved extremely popular. Despite this initial
recognition the Government has indicated it will evict this
irreplaceable piece of Manx and International heritage,
missing a golden opportunity to create a unique museum in
its original setting and a much needed added attraction for
both Laxey village and the Island. Unnecessarily moving the
equipment to another building runs the serious risk of
irreparable damage and will absorb much needed funding in
both removal and re-installation costs. If this Government
really cared about, rather than paid lip-service to, the
Island and its heritage there should never have been any
suggestion to remove the equipment.
But this is just the start towards the ruination of the
charm, ambience and character of Laxey MER station. Plans
have been approved which will see the introduction of
modernistic street furniture and inappropriate paving as
part of the regeneration of the area. Laxey station 'The
Jewel in the MER Crown' is the last remaining major station
on the system that has remained largely unchanged in eighty
years and is still recognisable form the early days of the
line in the 1890's. It is this charm and old-world
appearance that draws to the station, and is appreciated by,
many thousands of people from all over the world. By
definition this has the knock on effect of greatly
increasing tourist foot-fall to Laxey village and the
businesses that rely on their pound for survival. The plans,
as approved by the Manx Government, put the future of this
business in question.
Those who created these plans were given as part of their
brief '...which recognises the historic significance of the
railway and its immediate surroundings'. It is difficult to
understand how stainless steel street furniture, the
prolification of modern LED lighting and use of paving
materials not previously seen in the area conform to this
brief. Even more difficult to comprehend is how those who
were responsible for setting the guidelines could accept
that the plans met their stipulation. These plans are not
only wholly unnecessary and ill-conceived but certain
aspects have the potential to be downright dangerous and
gives the strong impression of a Government who has no real
understanding of tradition or heritage. At a time when
revenue driven from the finance sector remains under
pressure and the world economy is showing little signs of
any significant short-term recovery, the Island needs to
nurture that in what it excels. Heritage is a sector that
offers potential growth.
The MER Society calls for the DCCL Minster to halt
proceedings on both schemes until such time as a full public
discussion can be carried out.
Note for editors – see below for more detailed press
release and explanation of plans.
YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’VE GOT TILL
IT’S GONE
(THEY PAVED PARADISE AND THEY PUT UP A PARKING
LOT)
1. Welcome to the Sunny Isle of Man. Another bank departs
and our superannuated overlords announce that this is all
part of the plan and our economy is growing….
2. Well if you do not believe them then you will see that
our Island needs our tourist assets. One of them is about to
be removed by its custodian; your government. It will be
taken away in September. The Mercury Arc Rectifier in Laxey
is a show to behold; on exhibition for the very last time
during the line’s 120th anniversary celebrations at the
start of September, it is a piece of serious electrical
engineering from the 1930’s which was installed to
convert the (then) new Manx AC power supply to the
M.E.R.’s DC current. It is a glorious piece of kit (see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjMZ5qtyCUc). And your
Government are about to remove it from the building where it
has operated for the last eighty years despite recognising
the historic and heritage importance, as highlighted by the
numerous occasions that it has been promoted as a
significant attraction during railway special event periods.
The Manx Electric Railway Society supports the petition
against this, (see
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-laxey-manx-electric-railway-mercury-arc-rectifier-sub-station.html)
3. The dismantling of the contents of Laxey sub-station will
remove the final working example of this historically
significant and immensely entertaining piece of equipment,
anywhere… This appears to be the start of a new species
of rot on the M.E.R. As has been seen with the proposals to
remove Peggy from her Castletown home for “restoration
elsewhere” when Manx craftsmen quite skilled and
capable of doing the job for considerably less cost were not
consulted, there is a new trend of playing “fast and
loose” with our heritage. Laxey Station is next.
4. The significance of the Manx Electric Railway Station in
Laxey is immense. This is the only surviving principal
station on the line which has remained largely unchanged for
over 100 years. The context of Derby Castle Station has
effectively been ruined by the development and subsequent
destruction of Summerland. Ramsey Station was re-built in
the 1960’s and is now proposed (as part of Ramsey
Regeneration) to be obliterated utterly. Only Laxey Station
remains as the “Jewel in the Crown” of a ride on
the MER, a fact that has been recognised for some years by
its inclusion within the Laxey Conservation Area.
5. The importance of Laxey station as a tourist attraction
cannot be under-estimated. It is the point of change for
visitors to Snaefell Mountain and the Laxey wheels and is
visited by many thousands of people every year. It is an
icon of Manx charm and Manx culture. It is visited by
innumerable railway and tramway enthusiasts who use it as an
essential backdrop for photography. Laxey is the only
location which is relatively unchanged and where the
photographer can be sure a tram will have to stop.
Enthusiasts come to Laxey in large numbers to photograph 120
year old tram cars in an authentic setting, something which
the Conservation Area is there to protect.
6. If the character of Laxey Station is undermined by the
Isle of Man Government, the word is likely to go out amongst
the enthusiasts all over the world. This is likely to result
in adverse publicity which will reduce and undermine our
tourist “brand”.
7. The charm of Laxey Station is its timelessness, a charm
which has thus far only been superficially undermined by the
dumping of a skip by a Government Department, inappropriate
parking of road vehicles, the use of excessive modern
signage and so-on. The modern intrusions to date are
reversible and it was the sincere hope of the Manx Electric
Railway Society that the proposed overhaul at Laxey would be
seen as an opportunity to restore some of the ambience that
has been lost instead of undermining the charm of the
station still further.
8. Whilst the Manx people slept their planning committee has
approved a shocking and sweeping scheme which is
un-necessary, inappropriate and such as to undermine the
unique character of the Station. This will be repugnant to
anyone who appreciates the timeless charm of the station and
amounts to “Gilding the Lily”.
9. The conclusion of the Planning Statement prepared by
Dalrymple Associates (Para.9.01) states “The proposals
aim to enhance the existing character of this part of the
Laxey Conservation Area, while seeking to control pedestrian
movement in the Station by the use of texture and surface
material in a manner which recognises the historic
significance of the railway and its immediate
surroundings.” In including “off the peg”
ugly utilitarian street furniture of the sort frequently
found in modern development in the adjacent Isle the truth
of the “enhancement” is plain. The lily is being
modernistically gilded. Your planning committee has approved
of this, charmingly and traditionally all in 316 grade
stainless steel, well set off by refuse bins to match which
appear to be the design of a disciple of Mies Van Der Rohe.
10. But it does not stop at the street furniture. In the
coming months the full panoply of Disneyland will come to
this timeless and historic station;
10.1. Erection of new “power supply poles”
(traction poles) with no requirement that they follow
traditional appearance or even be painted. The present poles
are of ancient design, are painted green and are frequently
topped with finials. A number carry light fittings which are
derived from the original lighting fitted in the
1900’s.
10.2. Excessive lighting (LED pole mounted and floor
lighting and floodlighting, plus LED “arbour
mounted” chain lighting, plus strip lighting on the
steps to “Town Square”). There is no need for such
“improvement” in the lighting in the station. It
is rare for electric trams to move in the station at night
and when they do the people visiting the station and riding
on the electric cars are there precisely to catch the old
world atmosphere; this is not Brixton, there is no need for
modern security style lighting. The use of such lighting
will destroy the night time charm of the station utterly.
The clattering of a well lit tram through a Laxey station
redolent of the poet Keats’ description of
“beechen green and shadows numberless” is the best
protection a pedestrian can have. Because trams rarely use
the station in the hours of darkness there is no substantial
health and safety issue such as to necessitate LED lighting
after dark. These proposals will wholly undermine if not
destroy the timeless character of the Station and your
planning committee has approved them.
10.3. Resurfacing using modernistic paving, including what
Dalrymple so charmingly describe as “deterrent
paving” with what we would submit to be potential
safety risks when the public are not deterred. The
permission approves stone paving elsewhere in the station;
something wholly out of the historical context of this site
in the conservation area. This is a consequence of
individuals being appointed to the planning committee for
reasons other than their appreciation of Manx tradition and
culture.
10.4. The unnecessary insertion of a hatchet shaped
pedestrian walkway leading across the tracks to the proposed
“Town Square” (a charming concept with a fine view
of Laxey petrol station) with consequent loss of trees in
the Station. And for what? What vanity is it that drives
someone to expend public money on this unnecessary and
modernistic scheme whilst leaving Laxey Glen Gardens (a
former major destination of visitors to Laxey) in a state of
degradation?
11. Laxey Station is to be modernised and effectively all
charm destroyed. The consequence will be adverse to the
Conservation Area, the capacity of the M.E.R and the Island
generally to attract visitors and it will anger the
enthusiast community and many passengers who visit the
station especially for its timeless charm. Aspects of the
proposals appear to be downright dangerous, both to personal
safety of station users and (given the power of lighting to
attract the unruly) to the security of M.E.R. property at
night.
12. The Manx Electric Railway Society calls for the
Department of Community, Culture & Leisure Minster to
halt proceedings on both the removal of equipment from the
Laxey sub-station and the installation of inappropriate and
modernistic materials in the Laxey station regeneration
project until such time as a full public discussion can be
carried out.
13. The Manx people should judge their planning committee
and their politicians in the light of this. They have their
democratic rights and should remember the destruction of
their heritage at Laxey when they vote next time. They
should ask themselves whether the M.H.K. for Lonan tried to
stop this or was he part of the process?
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