Boris Johnson has intervened to stop dozens of Victorian bridges up and down the nation from being stuffed in with concrete.
Highways bosses plan to fill in 69 historic bridges in 5 years over considerations they don’t seem to be robust sufficient to hold heavy lorries.
It sparked claims of vandalism final month after a 159-year-old stone railway bridge in Cumbria was buried by tons of concrete. The problem was highlighted by the Each day Mail.
However right now Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, will unveil a brand new technique to protect the bridges. Highways England will likely be informed to ‘pause’ any deliberate infilling or demolition to permit research to be carried out into whether or not any can be utilized for cycle routes or different transport functions.
There have been claims of vandalism final month after a 159-year-old stone railway bridge in Cumbria, pictured, was buried by tons of concrete
Residents and councils will even be given a better say in whether or not the bridges must be preserved.
Downing Avenue stated the coverage has been introduced in on the insistence of the Prime Minister and Mr Shapps. It’s a part of a biking technique doc. It says: ‘We’ll contemplate whether or not extra of our historic railway buildings might be used for cycle routes or different transport functions.
‘There was concern concerning the destiny of a small proportion of the three,250 railway buildings managed by Highways England.
‘By the autumn, we’ll set up a formalised framework and engagement course of for these buildings to know, in every case, whether or not there’s a sensible prospect of it getting used for energetic journey or different transport functions in future; and to make sure that the views of native stakeholders, together with energetic journey teams and the native authority, are totally taken under consideration.
Pictured: a bridge at Nice Musgrave in Cumbria after being infilled by the Authorities physique which cited security causes for the work
Campaigners branded the undertaking a ‘scandalous wrecking ball’ and claimed it will successfully destroy any possibilities of turning the bridge (pictured) right into a greenway – items of land, usually used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle visitors
‘Till then, any infilling or demolition on these buildings will likely be paused, except there’s an instantaneous and emergency must act on grounds of public security.’ It’s not identified if the coverage units out what is going to occur to bridges which have already been stuffed in.
Final month Highways England sparked fury by burying the bridge at Nice Musgrave in Cumbria. Officers stated the work was needed so the bridge might take lorries weighing greater than 17 tons.
However locals questioned why the £124,000 infilling was wanted when Highways England’s personal paperwork confirmed repointing costing £5,000 would have allowed 40-ton lorries to cross.
Pictured: Nice Musgrave bridge in Cumbria pictured earlier than being infilled by Highways England
Pictured: The 159-year-old bridge which has been infilled with stone as a part of a method for sustaining the roadway
Highways England have stated work they’ve executed will protect the construction and might be reversed sooner or later if needed
The corporate carried out the work with out planning permission, underneath permitted improvement rights. Eden Valley and Stainmore heritage railways had hoped to unite on the disused Cumbrian line to create a brand new vacationer route.
Highways England have plans for 69 infillings and 15 demolitions over the following 5 years. Since 2013, numerous bridges have been stuffed in, together with a controversial undertaking in 2015 at Chilcompton, Somerset.
‘he Historic Railways Property Group, campaigning to avoid wasting the buildings, believes as much as 480 might be demolished or stuffed in by 2030.
The 159-year-old Nice Musgrave bridge in Cumbria, which has been infilled with stone by Highways England
The physique added skilled engineers are working to evaluate, restore, strengthen and refurbish greater than 3,000 buildings
Spokesman Graeme Bickerdike branded infillings a ‘scandalous wrecking ball’ that might destroy any likelihood of turning them into ‘greenways’ for walkers and cyclists.
He stated: ‘There’s an immense quantity of anger and frustration {that a} Authorities-owned firm which has an obligation to fulfil Authorities coverage, which is to encourage sustainable transport, is actively and destructively working in opposition to that agenda with out justification. It’s simply vandalism.’
Highways England stated it went forward with the Cumbria work because the prospect of a rail line being restored is ‘unlikely within the close to future’.
Source link