COUNTY BRIDGE UPDATE

By Coun Tom Glossop and Coun Ben Nobbs, Deputy Town Mayor

A meeting was held, on Friday 12 March with three officers of North Lincolnshire Council to discuss the possibility of collaboration between the Town Council and themselves in the restoration of the bridge.
We explained the latest position with regard to the Town Council's attempt to secure the support of the residents of the town to contribute to the project and the need for North Lincolnshire Council to play their part.
The officers asked if the people of the town would be prepared to pedestrianise the bridge as this would reduce the cost of any work undertaken. We explained that this had been an option discussed last year which had been rejected by the highway authority of which they were unaware.
In the following discussions it was clear that they would be willing to work with the Town Council to progress the project. However they did qualify this support by indicating that it would be, perhaps two or three years before they could promise to undertake the work as it is anticipated that there will be a significant reduction in the rate support grant received from Central Government in the future.
We looked at the plans drawn up for the Friends of the County Bridge and considered how they might be modified to reduce the cost and agreed the following:
a) the officers would discuss with their colleagues the possibility of pedestrianising the bridge.
b) establish weather an alternative use of the foot bridge could be found to help defray the cost of its removal.
c) investigate a possible time scale for the work to be carried out and if this was to prove to be a long term project what remedial work would need to be-done to the bridge in the mean time.
d) we would further the identification of what would be regarded as aesthetical work for which the Town Council would take responsibility.
The meeting was most positive and it does seem that given the availability of funding.
The will is there to complete the project.