Already closed due to structural concerns, one stretch of the Ashford Lane timber footbridge collapsed into the Jubilee River in June 2025.
A crane has now been brought in to remove the collapsed sections from the Jubilee River channel.
Questions to the Environment Agency 29/10/2025
Further to your response to my request for information regarding 250903/JA01 FoI request – timber footbridge design and construction.
This is a series of questions to the Environment Agency about timber footbridges. The EA (and their predecessors) have been involved in the design, manufacture and construction of timber footbridges over watercourses. These timber footbridges are now a serious and expensive problem and include:
• Temple (partially dismantled)
• Berry Hill (partially replaced)
• Ashford Lane (collapsed)
• Allotments (closed)
• Myrke (awaiting inspection)
• Black Potts (closed)
While Temple appears to be an EA problem, responsibility for the other footbridges over the Jubilee River has been passed over to the various Local Authorities.
The common denominators here are the EA and SHS and I think there are some serious questions to be answered about the design, construction, inspection and maintenance procedures.
Why did these footbridges have a shorter design life than, for example, the road bridges?
The bottom line is – now that these timber footbridges are life expired, who is going to pay for them to be replaced – and with what?
Thank you
Ewan Larcombe
END