The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Bridge delays not our fault, says MP
THERE are calls for more protection for Segedunum Roman Fort as thieves continue to strip the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s roofing.
It has been reported to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that parts of the Wallsend icon’s roof have been pilfered for copper and lead since July last year, resulting in leaks. It is also understood that while some initial repairs were under way in September 2023 to address the problem, scaffolding allowed
A TORY minister has denied that the Government was to blame for delays in funding for the Tyne Bridge’s restoration – and says he is “100%” sure the landmark will be returned to its former glory in time for its centenary celebrations.
There was relief across Tyneside this week after it was finally confirmed that the Department for Transport (DfT) will release more than £35m to pay for the rusting North East icon’s overdue repairs.
The news came following weeks of anger and protracted public spats over the Government’s failure to hand over the money, which was first announced in June 2022.
Attention now turns to how quickly the vast engineering works can begin and whether the repairs, which will require two of the bridge’s four lanes of traffic to be shut for up to four years, can be completed in time for the crossing’s 100th anniversary in October 2028.
Speaking on the Newcastle Quayside yesterday, roads minister Guy Opperman said that he was “100%” certain that the Tyne Bridge will be back to its best when the centenary arrives.
The state of the bridge has been high on regional leaders’ agenda for years and a bid to refurbish both it and the Central Motorway was originally lodged with the DfT in 2019 - with the Government taking almost three years to approve that in principle. Increasingly fraught arguments over recent weeks have seen local councils and MPs accuse Whitehall decision-makers of having failed to release their promised funding despite a final business case having been submitted to the DfT in July 2023, though the departthieves to further access and steal even more roofing materials.
In response to these claims, Geoff Woodward, manager of Segedunum Roman Fort, said: “We are very frustrated by the ongoing theft of materials from Segedunum’s roof and the damage it is causing to the building. We have worked with North Tyneside Council to make emergency repairs whilst awaiting funds from our Insurers to permanently resolve this issue.
“The recent high winds and rain ment has claimed it did not receive all the necessary information until November.
Mr Opperman, the Conservative MP for Hexham, said that the restoration was “not something small, it is a very significant project” and had to be scrutinised in detail. Asked whether his Government accepted blame for the time it has taken to reach this point, he added: “It is not just the bridge, it is also the motorway which has been up and running for 49 years.
“It is also the surrounding areas, we are trying to make it better for cyclists, we are segmenting off areas so there are proper footpaths and the like. There is a lot to this and this is a major structure.
“The local authority has to subhave also exacerbated this problem. We will be replacing the roof with a material that will not be of interest to thieves to prevent this happening in future.”
News of this has shocked representatives of Wallsend and has sparked calls for more to be done to safeguard the Roman fort and world-famous museum.
Wallsend councillor Louise Marshall said: “I want to support the police and see what additional resources can be found, and how the mit detailed plans of what they are going to do. We then have to assess how the taxpayers’ money is going to be spent and in what way.”
The £35.2m soon to be handed over to Newcastle and Gateshead councils amount to 85% of the estimated £41.4m cost of the project. However, the Government had also recently pledged that it would up its commitment to the Tyne Bridge and cover the entirety of the bill, as part of the Network North programme announced by Rishi Sunak after the scrapping of HS2’s Northern leg. Mr Opperman confirmed that extra money was still under review and that the Government’s assessment process would conclude “very quickly”.
Initial works to install some scafcouncil can work with the police, in terms of protecting this building. It is incredibly disappointing that this building is being targeted.”
Segedunum is one of the region’s most popular museums and points of interest, attracting almost a million visitors since it first opened in 2000. The site is legally protected and became a scheduled ancient monument in 1982. North Tyneside’s best example of the legacy of the Roman Empire was made eventually a World Heritage site in 1987. folding on the south side of the bridge began last autumn, funded by the two councils, but the main phase of the project has been dependent on the Government stumping up its share of the cash.
Ian Mearns, the Labour MP for Gateshead, said the £35m was “lovely, but not what will be required to do the job” – fearing that inflation in the construction industry since the plans were costed will mean a higher bill.
“If we don’t get this work done now and don’t have the road being down to one lane in each direction for the foreseeable future, then we could end up in a situation where every lane would have to be closed for the foreseeable future. We have to get on with this now.”