THE PLAN to build a brand new walking and cycling bridge in Bromsgrove over the A38 was unanimously given the go-ahead on Tuesday by Worcestershire County Council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee.
The £6million bridge over the A38 will link Carnforth Road to the east and Fordhouse Road to the west, replacing the existing outdated structure.
The county council said the bridge was being replaced so it would be comfortably wide enough to accommodate cyclists and pedestrians.
Currently – despite the bridge being on the National Cycle Route – cyclists are advised to dismount and walk across.
Coun Marc Bayliss, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy, Infrastructure and Skills, said: “It will be a significant piece of alking and cycling infrastructure in Bromsgrove and will go a long way to enhancing connectivity within the town.
“This bridge will make a big difference to those living in the local area and will certainly provide them with the opportunity to make journeys on a bike or on foot.”
But this week, the Standard was contacted by life-long cyclist Neville Billington who has been using the current bridge since it was built several decades ago and questioned whether the new one was needed.
He said: “I have cycled across that bridge, as have many others and whilst it is being used by pedestrians.
“Never in all the times I have used it – several times-a-week – have I ever seen a problem or a collision.
“It seems unnecessary to spend that amount of cash on this project when the current bridge is perfectly fine.”
His comments were echoed by a number of people on the Standard’s Facebook page with some saying it was not needed while others branded it ‘a waste of money’.
It was also mooted that cyclists should be dismounting and walking along the bridge with their bikes, rather than riding.
Others said the cash would be better-spent on filling in potholes to make the roads safer.
Some people did say it would be welcomed as the current bridge was ‘narrow with tight turns’.
The planning application, part of the Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme (BREP), followed an extensive pre-planning public engagement exercise during 2021.
Visit worcestershire.gov.uk/A38brep for more.
