Warwickshire council plans to keep unused railway bridge

Instead of demolishing a former railway bridge that is council-owned, Redditch Borough councillor is to consider continuing to maintain it.

The bridge crosses over Green Lane in Studley, and was originally used by a railway line but has now been converted to a cycle path. It is actually in Stratford-on-Avon District, but Redditch Borough Council owns it because of a quirk when the new town of Redditch expanded last century.

Last Tuesday, 12 September, the council's Executive Committee approved a report proposing £80,000 of repairs to the bridge, and to contract Warwickshire County Council to inspect the bridge until 2040 at a cost of £2,500 per year.

These proposals will now be considered by councillors at a Full Council meeting of Redditch Borough Council next Monday, 25 September.

A report to Redditch councillors in 2019 showed that the bridge was deteriorating and presenting complex maintenance issues. A plan was put forward to demolish the bridge and replace it with a ground-level crossing that would be paid for by building two new homes on another part of the site.

However, because of strong local support to keep the bridge, an increased focus on local sustainable transport infrastructure, and advice from Stratford District Council that its planning committee would be minded to refuse permission for the new homes, new proposals were put forward.

Redditch Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, Cllr Brandon Clayton, said: “We've listened to what people have said about how they use this bridge and we agree that the environmental benefits to the local community of leaving it in place, the walking, the cycling, the green space, now outweigh the benefits of removing it.

“We understood people's concerns about the ground-level alternative. And while the bridge may be across the border in Studley, we've heard from many Redditch residents who use it and benefit from it, and so we have recommended this new approach for the members of the council to consider.”

Leader of the Council, Cllr Matt Dormer, added: “This new way forward takes into account the changes in the situation since 2019 and proposes a cost-effective resolution to the problem while ensuring that a piece of infrastructure with clear value to local people stays well-maintained.”