Overhaul for Living Coasts coastal zoo's iconic aviary
ONE of the iconic structures of the English Riviera is getting an overhaul.
Work is being carried out on the vast aviary net (pictured) at Living Coasts.
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Living Coasts
Clare Rugg, Living Coasts operations manager, said: "We are starting a rolling program to replace sections of the net over the next 10 years, until all the panels are done.
"Living Coasts is in a great spot right beside the sea but it does mean we have to face storms head on.
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"The net has stood up well to the elements —not just the rain, wind and cold but also the unseen threat of ultra violet rays from the sun which can weaken the netting fibres."
The canopy at Torquay's coastal zoo and aquarium is held aloft on 35 masts ranging in height from two to 22 metres.
The surface area of the net — which was installed in 2003 — is 5,500 square metres, which is 59,000 square feet or almost 1.4 acres. The net creates a volume of 50,000m3 or 1.8 million cubic feet of free flight.
A team of four trained technicians are replacing a panel 16.5 metres by 18.75 metres with an area of 310 square metres.
Project manager Fraser Shirley said: "Our trained and qualified rope access technicians will go up to the mast headrings and the shackles that hold the ropes supporting the net panel perimeter.
"These ropes will be de-tensioned and disconnected from the top cleats and re-connected to lower cleats. This needs to be repeated on all four masts.
"The new net panel will then be hauled up on a pulley system and laid out across the existing net.
"It will be attached to new steel cables for a rough fit and then secured with double stitching every 150mm.
"Once the new net has been fully stitched, the technicians will climb along the cables to cut out the old net."
The work, including a full inspection survey of the aviary, should take five days to complete, weather permitting.
8 Comments
by fiverboy
Friday, February 08 2013, 4:35PM
“What revenue/profit does Living Coast put into the bay. Knock it down set the indigenous birds free and put the penguins back where they came from Paignton Zoo let them pay for them.
Turn Beacon Cove back into a public beach and create an attraction as it used to be instead of a smelly costly aviary funded by us locals.
For a small investment of the Bye borrowed funding put Adrian Saunders proposed big wheel on the top, and put the beach back and a Lido, offer tenders to locals for cafe, ice cream and pedlo boat hire, a diving centre and kayak courses. Beacon Cove was known as one of the best beaches in the bay. Now it is an eyesore that needs removing. How much more money is to be wasted on a non profit making white elephant.”
by fiverboy
Friday, February 08 2013, 3:52PM
“What if any profit does the living coast bring in if it is not self funding get rid and put Adrian Saunders Big wheel there. Let the birds free and those that are not indigenous to this country let the Zoo house them and the rats that live there. Then open up the beach again and offer tenders to locals for ice cream a cafe and pedal boats etc like it used to be. Beacon cove was one of the most popular beaches in Torbay and can be again.
The living Coast is an eyesore we should dispose of.”
by RivieraPalms
Friday, February 08 2013, 3:24PM
“This is what it looked like when the swimming pools and sun decks were there,
http://tinyurl.com/b7u6sst
I would have preferred a more modern version of the same personally. But we have the coastal zoo now so good luck to them.”
by iseveryidused
Friday, February 08 2013, 12:17AM
“Ten years? Doesn't seem a very long time. I wonder what the projected lifespan was? Can they afford this every ten years?”
by Dave_David
Thursday, February 07 2013, 10:41PM
“Preferred it when it was the Marine Spa.
It is shameful what they have done to Beacon Cove, once the most popular beach in the Bay.
One of the blots on the landscape of Torquay is this birdcage, full of rats, just the same as Torwood Street, the Palm Court, Rock Walk, the pineapple on the roundabout as you enter Torquay. Torquay has gone to rack and ruin and that is without entering the main streets for non-shoppers.
What will be done by our mayor to improve this.....NOTHING.”
by SteffiGraz
Thursday, February 07 2013, 10:07PM
“Yes it certainly looks like an iconic structure in the picture, what a mess, typical Torquay council half baked half funded scheme. It's about as iconic as factory row.”
by Azriel22
Thursday, February 07 2013, 5:55PM
“Pathetic design quality. The whole thing is a monstrosity . Has anyone ever seen a queue to get in?”
by nicold
Thursday, February 07 2013, 10:11AM
“Why not take it down completely and let the poor flying birds get a taste of the freedom of the sea? It's not needed for a few gulls, waders and 2 cormorants!”