Low-loader Bid Approved
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by Mr. Nelson BIG development projects in the west country, including the £100 million scheme of I.C.I. at Severnside, were said to form one of the main reasons for an application to the Western Licensing Authority, Mr. S. W. Nelson, at Bristol last week by Western Heavy Haulage Co. (Taunton), Ltd., to add an articulated unit for hauling machinery plant and engineering goods any distance.
Making the application, Mr. T. D. Corpe said the name of the company had been altered to South Western Transport and Installation (Bath), Ltd. The headquarters of the company were now at Bath.
Supporting the application were G. W. Sparrow and Sons, Ltd., Lower Bristol Road, Bath, whose directors are also directors of the applicant company. The whole of the share capital of S.W. Transport and Installation (Bath), Ltd., is held by the eight members of the Sparrow family. The .reason for the . application,. said Mr. Corpe. was the very considerable increase in business on the low-loader side. The increase was largely due. to two main . customers, Stothert and Pitt, engineers of Bath, and 'Sparrow and Sons. The low-loaders were required mainly for Sparrow's work. This company recently bought a new giant crawler crane, and they had experienced great difficulty in getting it moved to sites where it was wanted as it required 10 tons of earth ballast to balance it. When carried athwart there was a projection of over three feet on each side. When the new low-loader was used the crane could be loaded lengthways and there would be an overlap of only nine inches on either side.
Mr. 1. R. C. Samuel-Gibbon, for independent objectors, said many of his clients would state that low-loaders in the area were nothing like fully employed; and Mr. R. C. Oswald (BR. and B.R.S:)" submitted that there was no evidence whatever that any of the apPlicant's customers had been inconvenienced by the lack of low-loaders.
Mr: A. W. Sparrow, a director of G. W. Sparrow and Sons, said his firm operated 31 mobile cranes. They were already engaged on many big projects and had secured a contract on the development site at Severnside. The business was increasing considerably and in the past two years the number of cranes owned by them had been doubled. The giant crawler crane referred to cost £19,000 and could be hired for 16 an hour.
After the luncheon interval Mr. Corpe said the applicant had agreed to amend norrnal user .to: "abnormal indivisible loads mainly goods of G. W. Sparrow, Ltd.," and Mr: Sparrow gave an undertaking not to put another low-loader on C li?ence. If another low-loader were required it would be applied for in the usual way. Mr. Corpc said the applicant would not seek work from the customers of the objectors.
Granting the licence with this proviso, Mr. Nelson congratulated the parties on reaching an agreement. To Mr: Sparrow he said: "You must underitand that if your undertaking is not observed you might have your licence taken away."