H1.10: Crane survey

29 July 2010

A special report in association with Hill Dickinson, The Co-operative Bank, Morris & Spottiswood and Emplacement

They are often used as an at-a-glance gauge of how well a place is doing, the number of cranes on the skyline. It is of little surprise that active building sites with tower cranes are in short supply these days. The total number of cranes in or around Manchester city centre, including university district down Oxford Road and The Quays, is 7, although 2 of these are not in use, at West Properties' Origin where refinancing talks are ongoing. At its peak Media City UK alone had 15 on site.

Manchester tower cranes: 7

2 Chetham's School of Music, education, Todd Street

2 Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, education, Lower Ormond Street

1 Ice Plant, Ancoats, residential, Northern Group

2 Origin, mixed-use, Princess Street, West Properties - stalled

As of this week there are 3 in Liverpool:

1 St Paul's Square, offices, Old Hall Street, English Cities Fund

1 Apex Building, education, Crown Street/West Derby Street, Liverpool University

1 Central Village, between Renshaw Street and Bold Street, car park within mixed-use, Merepark and Ballymore

Another at Neptune/Countryside's Mann Island came down last weekend (click for live webcam). The next is likely to be seen at the Travelodge on The Strand.

On 28 March 2007 there were 29 counted in Liverpool*, with 16 of those at Liverpool One.

Of the ten tower cranes on site today in Liverpool and Manchester combined, five are being used on education projects.

There are no doubt numerous others scattered across the region busy at work in sectors relatively unaffected by the market crash: supermarkets, budget hotels and further education colleges that escaped the Learning & Skills Council's financial demise.

In Chester, Watkin Jones Homes has 1 tower crane on its Gorse Stack 3 scheme next to Northgate Arena.

Urban Splash has 1 crane busy delivering pre-cast blocks at its Longlands residential project in Stalybridge, Tameside. See image inset courtesy of Splash chairman Bloxham taken during a site visit earlier this week.

If granted planning consent, the student accommodation tower at 17 New Wakefield Street next to Oxford Road Station in Manchster could see cranes on site by the end of the year. And up to three will be on site by the end of the summer at the massive Co-operative Group headquarters on Miller Street (click for live webcam). With any luck there might be 10 in Manchester by the end of the year.

The Co-op site cranes will come from Sheffield-based HTC Plant, one of the country's biggest suppliers with around 200 hoists. HTC director Alex Lowe explains the market succinctly: "I wouldn't exactly say it's booming." More than half of HTC's cranes are in the depot with nowhere to go these days.

Mobile cranes

Neil Partridge, managing director of Ainscough Crane Hire, the UK's largest mobile crane company, based in Rawtenstall, says: "As of 31 May revenue was down 15% on 2009 which is common across the sector.

Ainscough doesn't just supply construction, it is big in the energy sector, everything from wind farms to oil and gas powered stations - and boat and shipbuilding. Around 45% of its business has traditionally come from construction and infrastrutcure but Partridge is keen to follow the market and the money as closely as possible. Power is the sector that appears the safest haven for now.

"I've visited all of our top 50 customers in the past two or three months and there's not a lot of confidence out there. Most people know there is more bad news to come: the road programme will be affected [by the public spending review] and we get some work from that lifting bridges into place. Hospitals and schools have already been.

Ainscough cut the headcount from 1,200 staff to 960 during the recession and Partridge is confident it is lean enough to survive without further cuts.

The number of cranes has come down from 600 to 500, with the smaller cranes being the ones to go.

Instead, Ainscough is putting its money into ever larger cranes to target the nuclear and energy-from-waste power station programme.

Spotters might have to drive a little further and speak to the man at the gate to get in to see cranes on the vast reaches of power station plots.

*With special thanks to the Crane Counters of Skyscrapercity for their unstinting efforts in this field.

This is clearly not a comprehensive survey. Please do correct and add your sightings in Reader's Comments below to keep this list up to date.