AN historic spillway in Marsden has been backed by heritage chiefs.
Butterley Reservoir’s spillway has today been included on the Victorian Society’s list of the 10 most endangered buildings in England and Wales.
Owner Yorkshire Water wants to revamp the spillway by replacing the natural stone steps with concrete.
The move has prompted a fierce campaign to save the spillway and the protestors’ cause has now been backed by The Victorian Society.
The publication of the top 10 follows a nationwide appeal to find the best and most at risk buildings in England and Wales.
Across the country historians, enthusiasts and local campaigners suggested Victorian or Edwardian buildings at risk in their local area.
Many have suffered neglect; others are at risk from development, like Butterley spillway, the only Grade II listed spillway in the UK.
The spillway was built in the 1890s and 1900s to allow the reservoir to cope with overflows during periods of heavy rain.
But a society spokesman said that instead of valuing the legacy left by Victorian engineers, Yorkshire Water proposes to replace it with concrete, coloured to look like stone.
Chris Costelloe, director of the Victorian Society, said: “The Victorians were superb builders of infrastructure.
“They made structures that would last. Now Yorkshire Water are using a purely theoretical assessment of water flow to justify the destruction of a perfectly functional – and spectacular – example of Victorian engineering.
“Resembling an immense staircase, this reservoir spillway is one of our most unusual endangered buildings and is the UK’s only listed spillway.
“Yorkshire Water says the spillway does not comply with current safety standards, but the kind of flooding it seeks to manage is determined by theoretical assessment and may occur only once in 20,000 years.
“The ‘upgrading’ work will result in the loss of everything that is special about the spillway. Coloured concrete is not adequate substitute for natural stone.
“Villagers and visitors have formed a campaign to help protect the spillway. Yorkshire Water should listen to them and develop a plan which is less damaging to this unique example of Victorian engineering”.
Other buildings on the endangered list include Ipswich’s blighted and vandalised former County Hall; a rare and very early Victorian station in Derbyshire now in terrible condition and an ornate Victorian dock pump-house on Merseyside.
Yorkshire Water insisted the Butterley work was essential.
A spokesman said: “This scheme is about delivering vital improvements to an ageing spillway structure in order to ensure it is safe and that there is no risk to public safety, which will always be our number one priority.
“Improvements to the spillway, which is over 100 years old, are legally required to ensure it is operationally fit for purpose and that it meets the highest safety standards.
“A huge amount of planning and consultation have taken place to ensure we have a solution which will deliver the necessary improvements whilst still maintaining as much as possible the look and feel of this much-loved structure.
“This is not the cheapest or simplest solution. But we’re absolutely sure it’s the right solution: one that will ensure the spillway is fit for purpose, safe and legally compliant, whilst at the same time retaining its iconic appearance”.
But the Save Butterley Spillway Group insisted the company had other options.
A spokesman said: “We are delighted the spillway has made the list as it will now get national attention.
“Yorkshire Water have completely disregarded this as a listed building and we will continue to campaign for them to look at other options”.
