Alex Fenton – MACT Creative Research Methods Bradley Chimney

1. Alex Fenton – MACTCreative Research MethodsBradley Chimney

2. Introduction • Brief from: ElevateEast Lancashire(Elevate is one of the Government’s Housing Market Renewal pathfinders, charged with finding innovative solutions to the problem of low demand and housing market collapse in towns across Pennine Lancashire.) • Background information on the area • Idea proposal • Power • Planning • Light artists • Website • What next?

3. Brief from Elevate “Attached are some pics of an old mill chimney on a site in Bradley, East Lancashire. The whole of Bradley is subject to a major Housing Market Renewal project at the moment. One sticking point is that there is a division of opinion on what should happen to the most dominant landscape feature in the town - the chimney. You are invited to submit ideas and proposals for ideas that work with the Chimney. Most important is that we make a feature of the Chimney before any insensitive decisions are made about its future.”

4. Brief - Images

5. Background Information • Nelson, East Lancashire • Bradley area • Riverside Mill and Chimney • People

6. Background – Nelson • Nelson, East Lancashire • Population 28,998 (2001 census)

7. Background – Nelson : Images

8. Background – Nelson • Developed as a mill town during the Industrial Revolution (1740) • Lost much of its industry • Characterised by pockets of severe deprivation and some of the lowest house prices in thecountry • Labeled “little Moscow” by local and national press early 20th century • £317m invested by Elevate for 3358 refurbishments, 764 new houses and other improvements in East Lancashire

9. Background – Bradley (Nelson) • Bottom 1% in country for quality of housing • Physically and Psychologically disconnected from Nelson centre * • Bottom 2% most deprived wards in England and Wales * • Oversupply of small terraced houses • Many Muslim families live here (mosque in the area) • £8m spent so far on regeneration in Bradley on property acquisitions, reports and repair *BDP report for Bradley

10. Background – Riverside Mill • Built 1887 – 1890, original name was Bradley Shed • Originally a steam-powered cotton-weaving mill sited next to Walverden Waterriver • Mills unused since 1999 and cleared in 2003 due to extensive fire damage • 37m high red brick chimney • Redevelopment for employment would have limited benefits for local housing market * • Large empty site • Potential plans to build houses or mixed use *BDP report for Bradley

11. Riverside Mill – Past Images

12. Riverside Mill – Present Images

13. Riverside Mill – Overhead Map

14. Riverside Mill – Overhead Map 2

15. Riverside Mill – Future Images

16. Background – Riverside Chimney • Constructed of red bricks • Mobile phone masts on the top, generators at the bottom • Can get inside • Calculating height of chimney : 2 methods (Trigonometry & Brick) = approx 37m high • Calculating circumference : approx 15.4m

17. Background – People of Nelson • 67.79% Population White * • 30.70% Asian or Asian British * • Christian (52.07%) * • Muslim (29.15%) * • People between areas strikingly segregated • Reaction to chimney is mixed – generally older people want it demolished, younger people see it as an important link to the past • Bradley Residents Action Group *2001 census

18. Idea proposal

19. Proposal – Bradley Chimney Lights • Turn chimney into a symbolic fibre optic cable • LED lights to chimney exterior • Re-establish connection between Bradley and the rest of Nelson • Demonstrate the move from industrial to digital age • LED’s and Fibre optics both used in transfer of data (digital age) • Uses sustainable energy source to further enhance the 21st century connection • Interactive on time and SMS message • Random element

20. Proposal – Approach #1 • Add digital LED lights to exterior • Lights react to time events and SMS text message • Time sensitive based on astronomical clock • Each RGB LED node is individually programmable • Time : Snow at Christmas, Hearts on Valentines day, Fireworks at New Year etc. • SMS : Text EID MUBARAK for chimney to turn green with white moon symbols (for example) • 12” LED separation for low resolution graphics • Full Cost : £81,000 (equipment & installation)

21. Proposal – Approach #2 • Add RGB LED wall washer colour wash lights to exterior • Lights animate between colours • Visible at night only • Equipment 20x LED Units, controllers, power supplies • SMS example: text EID for chimney to illuminate green • Full Cost : £19,000 (equipment & installation)

22. Proposal – Sustainable Power • 21st century, environmental, low maintenance, sustainable installation could potentially feed back into National Grid • Institute of Materials Research based at the University of Salford • Research into efficient, cost effective, durable, thin film solar cell panels that work with light. • Photovoltaic (PV system) - generates electricity from light • Hydro-electric using river (Archimedes' screw) – no weir • Wind power may be more cost effective in UK than current solar technology • 1KW Kestrel wind turbine system for £4500 • Backup power – National grid

23. Planning Permission • Chimney and mill are not listed, nor are they in a conservation area • Light seepage into neighboring dwellings/general light pollution checks • Solar panels / wind turbine need planning permission • Environment agency for changing water flow • “Temporary planning permission is a lot easier and if it turns out to be a much loved installation it's possible to then go for full planning permission.” - Peter Freeman • Planning permission is a problem if the local authority or the residents in the area don't want it to happen.

24. Light artists / companies • Peter Freemanwww.peterfreeman.co.uk • Stig Skjelvik www.skjelvik.com • Peter Faganwww.starceiling.co.uk • Richard Williamswww.colorkinetics.com

25. Web site • www.edinteractive.co.uk/chimney • Used to submit /display photographs, videos, info about installation • Encourages user feedback, particularly SMS text messages, photos and videos of people’s experiences with regard to Bradley and the installation • Record journey of Bradley, transition between industrial and digital age

26. Current situation & what next? • “I really like the idea.  The key 'test' as to its genuine applicability will be whether or not the community / landowners & key stakeholders like it.”(Chris Standish - Elevate) • “This looks very exciting. I have always wanted to commission a lighting project” (Claire Tymon - Elevate) • Series of discussions between involved parties Spring 2009 • Star Ceiling to provide test LED light wash units • Formal planning approach • Further research / costing andfeasibility studies • Could this approach work elsewhere?

27. Thanks! • Andrew North (Enterprise and Development UoS) • Graeme Draper (Enterprise and Development UoS) • John Coakley (Enterprise and Development UoS) • Diane Akala (Bradley Residents Action Group) • Paul Haywood (Art and Design UoS) • Michael Fenton • Kathy Fenton • Adam Dalal (Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council) • Manshah Yousaf • David Shiel (Institute for Materials Research UoS) • Prof. Arthur Hill (Institute for Materials Research UoS) • Prof. Nigel Linge (Institute Informatics Research Institute UoS) • Dr. Steve Hill (Computing, Science & Engineering UoS) • Peter Freeman (Light Artist) • Andy Rawsthorne (SMS controller expert) • Stig Skjelvik (Light Artist) • Peter Fagan (LED light company owner - Starceiling) • Richard Williams (Philips Color Kinetics) • Sarah Howells (re’new Leeds) • Alan Duxbury (Pendle Borough Council) • Judith Watmough (Pendle Borough Council) • Claire Tymon (Elevate) • Chris Standish (Elevate) • James Hoopler (Segen) • Andrew Milestone (Lite Ltd. LED light installation installers)