Plans for safer bridge crossing
Campaigners have unveiled plans for a new bridge that will give children a safer route to their school.
So far £23,000 has been raised towards creating the bridge over the Kennet and Avon Canal, known as the Conker Crossing.
It will offer an alternative for pedestrians and cyclists to the narrow Bathampton Bridge (also known as the Horseshoe Bridge).
Parents say pupils walking along the narrow road where vehicles often mount the pavement was their ‘number one’ concern.
Fiona Powell, a trustee of the charity set up to deliver it, said: “The existing bridge is such a dangerous spot, made worse by being a through route for traffic using the Bathampton Toll Bridge - local people have said for years that it should be improved.
“A parent survey told us this was the number one worry on the walk/cycle to school.”
The historic horseshoe bridge features a blind incline for drivers and the charity’s planning application describes the “narrow and unsegregated” footpath as “intimidating and unnerving” for pedestrians.
On the opposite side, the narrow pavement is also hazardous, as drivers cannot pass each other while accommodating pedestrians, and cars regularly take evasive action by mounting the pavement.
The plans call for Conker Crossing to be easily accessible for wheelchair users and parents with prams and safe for small children.
They add: “[There is also] a requirement for shared use with cyclists and to allow the existing canal path to have the same degree of freedom of movement once the bridge has been completed.”
If approved, the “minimal and contemporary” Conker Crossing will be built at a “practical and respectful” distance from the Grade Ii-listed Bathampton bridge.
The plans concede that the development, within the Bathampton Conservation Area, will change the open character of the canal but say building it next to the old bridge would have a bigger impact.
Fiona and fellow trustees Cheryl Cook and Terry Wagstaff have had support from across the community, with many offering reduced rates or working for free.
She said: “We are aiming to be an early example of the community/council partnership working that B&NES Council has said it would like to do more of.”
Fiona added: “We have looked at different ‘lesser’ options with the council before getting to a new crossing, including a new pavement. We need a solution that helps the whole community throughout the day.”