Last-minute vote leaves bridge's future in limbo

Boxted Bridge was shut in June 2023 over safety concerns

The future of a Victorian bridge hangs in the balance after councillors deferred a decision to demolish it.

Boxted Bridge, which straddles the Essex-Suffolk border near Colchester, was shut over safety fears in June 2023.

Essex County Council was expected to approve a scheme to remove it on Friday, but members instead voted to conduct a site visit before deciding its fate.

Parish councillor Jon Hunt said it sent a "strong message" about seeking alternative solutions.

The steel structure was built four years before the end of Queen Victoria's reign, carrying people over the River Stour.

An inspection in 2018 found the bridge was "dangerously weak" due to corrosion of its beams.

The county council planned to demolish it and build a wider structure in its place, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A vociferous campaign has been staged against the demolition since plans were first mooted

Councillors voted to defer the demolition decision so they could inspect the bridge themselves and consider alternative options.

Labour councillor Dave Harris told the meeting: "I don't think we've got enough in front of us at the moment to do anything but either refuse or defer."

It was not specified when the inspection would take place.