‘Christmas crane’ site beside M1 near Meadowhall snapped up

The ‘Christmas crane’ site beside the M1 near Meadowhall has been snapped up by an investor - but the famous skyline won’t change for at least three years.
The 'Christmas cranes' beside the M1The 'Christmas cranes' beside the M1
The 'Christmas cranes' beside the M1

Selenium Developments bought the 10-acre site on Grange Mill Lane for £3.825m and bosses say they would love to put up warehouses.

But crane company HTC Wolffkran is only two years into a 10-year lease, although it has a break clause after five years.

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HTC delivers cranes to sites all over the country. It is famous with M1 travellers for hanging festive lights on cranes beside the M1 every December.

More recently it played host to the filming of Dr Who, when the first female Doctor, Yorkshire-born actress Jodie Whitaker, performed a ‘death-defying’ leap between two cranes.

Selenium is a joint venture between Thorngrove Land & Property Ltd and Seddon Developments Ltd, established to invest in key logistic sites near UK motorways.

Director Lee Charnley said he would love to develop the site but until the lease ran out, HTC was in control.

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He added: “One of the main attractions in acquiring this investment was the lease with HTC Wolffkran, allowing ample time to consider all future options for the site.

“It was a strategic purchase and we will honour the lease. When the site is available we will review the options then, whether we redevelop, re-let or agree a new lease.

“I can’t kick them off.”