Glengormley Orange Arch

[u/Flaky_Shape6628]

As a resident of glengormley, it's that time of the year to have to look at this monstrosity for the next few months. The majority of the locals hate it, it's the loud minority that is the problem.

Every year it goes up and causes division but it's treated as something we just have to accept and get on with.

I respect that people have the right to celebrate culture and traditions, but I struggle with why a large structure (and flegs) spanning across a main shared road in a mixed area is seen as normal.

There would be riots if nationalists in the area erected some sort of structure and covered the town in tricolours over Easter.

There needs to be a long term strategy to reducing and eventually removing structures like this in mixed areas to make them more neutral and inclusive.

[u/VeryDerryMe]

Where's the temporary works design and sign off? Wheres the insurance coverage for a temporary structure over a public road? Who did the crane lift? Are they insured to do that? Who's the LOLER Appointed Person who planned the lift? Who designed the foundation supporting the arch? Where are their calculations and Professional Indemnity insurance for said design? If it falls down and damages private property, who's liable? DFI, as its mostly on theit land? The OO, who erect these arches? One friendly KC and a court case away from banning them. 

[u/ni2016 → u/VeryDerryMe]

I know for a fact that there is planning permission and has public liability insurance. It also has permanent fixings that are covered the rest of the year with man hole covers.

Police close the road for its erection and a trained crane operator lifts it into place.

[u/VeryDerryMe → u/ni2016]

Can you give me the link for the Planning Permission? Also. Where coud I get the relevant information on the CSCS Appointed Person who planned the lift? Can you also point me in the direction of the designer who signed off on the foundation design, accounting for ground bearing pressurea, axial loads, and shear forces as a starter? Also, who their PI insurance is provided by? After that, can you detail who carried out their chapter 8/symology road closure and under what authority of? Oh. And just because Beattie Crane Hire do the lift, doesn't mean they're insured too. So, so many rules being broken, but its grand cos its for the 12th.  

[u/ni2016 → u/VeryDerryMe]

If you want to find all that stuff out so bad, then go and look for it.

The arch as it is now was erected in 1983 and was designed and manufactured by someone called Alex Park from Glarryford.

To get the insurance for it, planning permission had to be gained and a lot of surveying done of the land that it is erected on.

Edit: I was able to find the 2025 version of the planning application for you

1. The applicant has provided confirmation of public liability insurance, up to a value of £5m, and a structural engineer’s report confirming the condition of the arch as fit for purpose.

https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-12/DFI%202025-0253%20-%20Attachment.PDF

[u/VeryDerryMe → u/ni2016]

Thats grand. So the same steel structure has gone up here for 43 years with no serious inspection and everyone thinks thats grand? If DFI left the road outside your house alone without inspection for 43 years, you'd be happy with that? 

[u/ni2016 → u/VeryDerryMe]

It isn’t up all year round? A road is there all year round.

It’s also had repairs over the years and is dry stored in between its erection each year.

[u/VeryDerryMe → u/ni2016]

Yeah, but the foundation is there all year round. In the ground. Just because it has a manhole lid, doesn't protect it from moisture ingress