Fears historic bridge could be lost forever

Malcolm Victory has requested an update relating to the repair work on the historic bridge

Fears have been raised that a historic bridge could be lost forever if repairs are delayed any longer.

Powick Old Bridge in Worcestershire suffered a partial collapse earlier in the year, and Councillor Malcolm Victory is worried work to fix it is taking too long.

Worcestershire County Council has already said it is preparing to carry out repairs but officials are becoming increasingly concerned about the state of the bridge as a large hole has opened up.

Mr Victory said he will raise the issue at a meeting on Thursday with the county’s highways chief.

The bridge has been closed since the end of January, after it suffered damage due to flooding.

In his written submission, provided ahead of the meeting, Mr Victory said the bridge was the scene of the Battle of Powick Bridge in 1642, the opening skirmish of the English Civil War.

He said it also featured heavily in the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

Powick Old Bridge was expected to stay closed for several months, according to an update from highways bosses earlier this year

It was constructed by monks from Malvern Priory before 1447 and partially rebuilt during the 17th century, he added.

The bridge’s future is also expected to be discussed by Worcester City Council this week as a motion calling for its restoration is being put forward by councillors Richard Udall, Sue Smith and Jenny Barnes.

In February, the head of the county's highways department asked people not to expect a reopening for several months, and to bear with the council while repairs were carried out.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.