The Narrow Access Problem: How Spider Platforms Reach Where Others Can't

Thousands of properties across Yorkshire have access constraints that rule out traditional access equipment. Stone boundary walls, narrow gated side passages, courtyard developments and terraced streets with no road frontage to the rear all present the same problem: how do you get a machine to height when the machine cannot reach the site? Spider platforms solve this - from a gateway as narrow as 78cm.

The Problem With Standard Cherry Pickers

A standard truck-mounted cherry picker - the type most commonly seen from hire companies - arrives on a 7.5-tonne or larger vehicle and requires a road position from which to operate. This works well for buildings with direct road access: commercial high streets, modern industrial estates, semi-detached properties with open frontage.

It fails immediately for:

• Rear-of-property work accessed through a side passage
• Walled courtyard developments where the access passage width is under 2 metres
• Victorian terraces where rear access is via a shared back passage with a standard gate
• Rural properties with gated farm tracks
• Properties with soft ground, steps or significant level changes between the access point and the work area
• Listed buildings in conservation areas where road positioning is restricted

How Spider Platforms Work

Spider lift platforms - also called tracked spider lifts or narrow-track MEWPs - are a different category of access equipment designed specifically for restricted access situations. Key characteristics:

• Width: Compact spider platforms transport at 78cm wide or less - allowing passage through standard domestic side gates, and through many commercial access passages that standard platforms cannot enter.
• Track drive: Rubber tracks rather than wheels provide traction on soft ground, gravel, grass and sloping surfaces without causing the surface damage that wheeled platforms would cause.
• Outrigger footprint: Spider lifts deploy on four outrigger legs that can be set independently, allowing the platform to operate on sloping ground and in confined spaces where the outrigger placement cannot be symmetrical.
• Working height: Modern tracked spider platforms reach heights between 12m and 25m - comparable to truck-mounted booms for most residential and commercial building heights.
• Weight: Compact models weigh between 1.5 and 3.5 tonnes, which is within the bearing capacity of most domestic driveways and garden surfaces, and can often be moved through properties on removable sections of paving without ground damage.

What 78cm Access Means in Practice

A standard domestic pedestrian gate - the kind that opens from a driveway to a rear garden - is typically 810–900mm wide. At 78cm transport width, a compact spider platform passes through this gateway with a small margin on each side. Once through the gate, the platform self-propels to the work position on its rubber tracks, deploys its outriggers independently on whatever ground is available and lifts to working height.

This means that the majority of domestic terraced, semi-detached and detached properties that appear to have "inaccessible" rear elevations are, in practice, accessible with the right equipment. The work that was previously assumed to require scaffolding - or was simply left undone - becomes a straightforward same-day operation.

Common Jobs Requiring Narrow Access

• Rear gutter cleaning on Victorian terraces with shared back passages
• Rear solar panel cleaning where the panels face south over a walled garden
• Chimney inspection and pointing repairs on rear-facing chimneys
• Fascia and soffit work on rear elevations
• High-level window cleaning or sealant replacement on courtyard-facing elevations
• Gutter repairs and downpipe replacements on properties with no road access to the rear

Confirming Access Before Booking

The simplest way to confirm whether a spider platform can access your site is to measure the narrowest point of the access route - not just the gate opening, but any overhead obstacles (arches, low tree branches, services cables) and the surface condition. Provide these measurements when you call, and we will confirm feasibility before booking.

For complex access situations, ProClean Access carries out a free site assessment - we visit the property, confirm the access route, identify any ground conditions that need managing (soft spots, inspection covers, steps) and confirm the right machine before work is scheduled.