We were pleased to submit a planning application last week, which involved proposals to extend and renovate Shipley Glen Cable Tramway. The Shipley Glen Cable Tramway is the oldest working cable tramway in Great Britain. Dating from 1895, it was built to transport passengers to the local beauty spot of Shipley Glen, near Saltaire, the Unesco World Heritage Site. At nearly a quarter of a mile long, the gentle woodland ride provides a pleasant alternative to the steep path.
Just a short walk away from the top station you can find a The Glen Tea Rooms (which we have also recently been involved with extending and renovating), a pub and the Brackenhall Countryside Centre, plus the rocks and woodland of Shipley Glen. The bottom station is located just a short walk through Saltaire’s famous Robert’s Park, close to the River Aire, the Waterbus on the Canal, and the superb Salt’s Mill and its famous Hockney Gallery.
The works which we are proposing are concentrated around the top station, and whilst it certainly has an air of charm about it, the top station is in need of some repair and investment. The Tramway trust is completely volunteer operated, so it’s not as easy for them to generate funds for such projects as it would be for a commercial business. They chose us, after vetting numerous local architectural consultancies, as we were a small, local business with a good knowledge of the history of Baildon and the surrounding areas. We were instructed to provide a full architectural and interior design service, which involves the recently submitted planning application, with a view to us undertaking working drawings, tender packages and a building regulations application, once planning permission has been obtained.
We expect to receive planning consent in late July, and will provide updates on the Architectural blog in due course.
