Five weeks after a crane collapsed at a building site in Bow, Tower Hamlets Council has revealed the complex job of removing the crane could take up to six months
The collapsed crane fell into a complex of flats and a row of nearby terraced houses, where sadly 84 year-old June Harvey died.
Tower Hamlets said: “Stabilising and removing the crane will be among the most complex operations of its kind to be undertaken in London for many years.
“Until this week, the best assessment of the technical experts was that three months was a realistic timescale for completing the recovery of the crane. That estimate has now been revised.
“They now believe that if a plan of work can be agreed in the very near future and if no further delays are experienced, it could be possible to complete the operation in four months.
“However, we need to be realistic that winter weather, the Covid-19 pandemic, or any number of other routine project delays, could mean the operation takes longer than four months.
“We are not in a position at this stage to guarantee a specific timescale and we do not want to tell you one thing now, only to disappoint you later.
“We would therefore encourage you to plan for a range of between four and six months. We promise to come back to you, each month, with a further update. As the operation progresses, we hope that the estimates will become more specific.”
It added: “This will clearly be disappointing news and we don’t underestimate the impact that being away from your homes for so long without any prior warning will have.
“Gateway Housing and Remus Management are committed to making sure you have suitable accommodation during this time and you will find more details below about what the council is doing to offer support.”
The Metropolitan Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are both responsible for investigating the circumstances that led to the collapse and are overseeing removal plans to ensure they are safe and carried out in a way that preserves evidence.
They are currently in control of the site.
