It looks like the Ashford Lane (Dorney) footbridge could remain closed until January 2028 – but in fact may never be replaced. There are reports circulating in the Maidenhead Advertiser that Bucks County Council is reluctant to replace the collapsed Ashford Lane footbridge over the Jubilee River. The real question here is not really about whether Bucks is happy, willing and able to pay for a new footbridge (say £1m). In fact there are three basic questions to be answered as follows:
Question 1) Four timber footbridges over the Jubilee River have now failed. (The Myrke footbridge is still usable for now – but this timber footbridge is over 25 years old and at the end of its design life.) The Environment Agency procured the timber footbridges in the late 1990’s. Explain why these footbridges did not have a design life comparable to the design life of the channel itself? Were they a cost-effective (i.e. low-cost or cheap) solution? Were they poorly manufactured or maintained?
Question 2) It is only 2026 and these timber footbridges are rotten and unusable after only about 25 years. After construction the Environment Agency passed these timber footbridges to the local authorities. The local authorities accepted responsibility. If these timber footbridges were sub-standard in design or material selection – surely there is a moral obligation, maybe even a duty on the Environment Agency to financially assist the local authorities with the replacements?
Question 3) If involved in these footbridge replacement projects, can the Environment Agency now be trusted to be part of – or to oversee – the procurement process?
| Public Footpath No.1, Parish of Dorney | Dorney | Public Footpath No.1 Parish of Dorney, for the length of the path over the bridge over the Jubilee River, which commences at the junction with public footpath No. 5/3 to the junction with public footpath No. 5/2 for approximately 145 metres. |
The closure is required in the interest of public safety due to damage to the footbridge which is a risk to public users. | 2 July 2025 | 23 January 2028 |
The Bucks temporary Public Footpath Closure Order can be found here
Dorney PC – Draft Minutes – 15-9-2026
PC/78/26 To update on Ashford Lane bridge
Following the collapse of the bridge, Buckinghamshire Council proposed removing the bridge and permanently
closing the footpath. The Parish Council, together with the landowner, responded to advise that this would not be a
suitable option.
The footpath is an historic route which provides a connection between the areas of land which were parted by the
Jubilee. An alternative route via Lake End Road was suggested by Buckinghamshire Council; however, this is not
considered viable. The footpath was historically used for the movement of sheep between the fields. Although this
is not currently required, it may be necessary to reintroduce this use in the future and moving livestock along the
main road would not be safe or appropriate.
The Parish Council therefore remains of the view that the footpath should be retained and that a suitable solution
for replacing the bridge should be explored.