Farmer’s ‘20-mile detour’ when old bridge is closed
HISTORIC CROSSING WILL BE USED BY WALKERS AND CYCLISTS ONLY
A 200-YEAR-OLD bridge has become “weak” and will soon be closed to traffic, to the dismay of a local farmer who says it will force him to take a 20-mile detour with his farming equipment.
Chetwynd Bridge is used by hundreds of motorists each day, but will be open to pedestrians and cyclists only when the long-awaited nearby Walton bypass is opened.
As part of the ongoing work on the nearby Drakelow Park housing development, which will bring thousands more vehicles to the area, housing developers Countryside said work would begin next month to construct a new road bridge.
It will also act as a replacement for the 70-year-old “temporary” Bailey Bridge at Walton, which will also no longer be used by cars as it is turned into a pedestrian-only walkway.
Chetwynd Bridge is located over the River Tame, on the A513 Croxall Road, adjacent to the National Memorial Arboretum, near Alrewas. Highways authority Staffordshire County Council has started a restoration project on the Grade-II listed bridge, which will initially see an 18-tonne weight restriction imposed before it fully shuts to traffic when the new bridge opens.
Local farmer James Startin says the move to eventually close the bridge to all traffic will mean he will be forced to take a 20-mile detour with his farm machinery to get to his fields, and lorries travelling to events at nearby Catton Hall will also have to find alternative routes.
Mr Startin, who has used the bridge for 30 years, has branded the closure an “environmental disaster” due to the increased amount of fuel he and other traffic will have to use.
Mr Startin said: “The bridge is weak so they will put a weight limit on it but this will cause lorries problems as they won’t be able to get to events.
“We won’t be able to get our farm machinery to the other side. I would have to go on a 20-mile detour from Croxall to my farms in Kings Bromley, Yoxall and Barton under Needwood. I hope they are taking that on board.
“It is also on a school bus route. It is an environmental disaster because of all the fuel we will use to avoid the bridge, not to mention the disruption.
When the Walton bypass is built we would have to go through Walton village and the bypass doesn’t exist yet.
“It has got to be a year away [from completion]. They should have oneway traffic or lower the speed limit.”
The restoration of Chetwynd Bridge will take eight months.
The county council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, David Williams, said: “Chetwynd Bridge is listed and a historic asset to people in Staffordshire and neighbouring Derbyshire. It has been in need of repair for some time and we’re now starting a programme of works to ensure it is safe to use and in keeping with its historic status.
“We want to keep local communities informed as we carry out the works which includes what we can and cannot do in terms of bridge access. The project team had a useful meeting with the parish council this week as part of the consultation process and will take on board their concerns and issues raised. As always, we are grateful for this local input.
“The bridge has now had an independent structural assessment check which has indicated the need for a weight restriction.
“This should however exempt emergency vehicles and essential services. We do, of course understand this will place an inconvenience on local residents, but we cannot compromise safety.
“In the longer term, the county council is planning to remove all vehicular traffic from Chetwynd Bridge and put it onto the new bypass road bridge. This will transform Chetwynd Bridge into a cycle and pedestrian route and preserve it for future generations.”