Councils struggling with bridge repair costs

Councils are struggling to pay soaring repair bills for bridges which are closed or at risk of becoming dangerous, a councillor has warned.

Fixing smaller bridges across the North East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria will cost £17m in the next year, up £2.5m from the previous 12 months.

Residents told the BBC they face long detours because of ongoing closures with some resorting to using boats.

The Department for Levelling Up said it was increasing funding to councils.

John Shuttleworth, cabinet member for rural communities and highways at Durham County Council, said the issue was "a major concern" across the country.

Rowing across river

Eddie Peat lives in Wycliffe, near Barnard Castle, on the banks of the River Tees in County Durham.

The nearest bridge to his home, Whorlton Suspension Bridge, has been closed for repairs since 2019.

It is said to be the UK's oldest surviving unaltered suspension bridge, and opened to horse and carts in 1831.

Eddie Peat makes regular visits to his mother across the river

Mr Peat is the sole carer for his 88-year-old mother Jane, who lives on the other side of the water in Whorlton.

"If there's an emergency it's much more difficult than it would have been," he said.

"She fell out of bed a couple of times and had been lying on the floor for hours and I needed to get there quickly."

The closure meant he had a 20-minute diversion in the car to get to the other side of the river.

When the weather allows he has used a small rowing boat to cross the water.

"It's either walking or taking a boat across the river," he said, adding: "The boat is there and we can use it."

His mother joked she would "have a party" when the bridge reopens after feeling "stuck" for four years.

Whorlton Suspension Bridge has been closed since 2019

Repair work to the bridge, which is due to end in December, is costing £8.4m and an unspecified amount is from levelling up funding.

When asked if Durham County Council could afford to repair the bridge without government support, Mr Shuttleworth replied: "In a nutshell, no."

'Ambulance delays'

Rigmaden Bridge near Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria closed in December 2021 after becoming unsafe.

It has remained shut and has caused "a number of problems" according to Mike Hall, who lives nearby.

Rigmaden Bridge is one of a number of historic bridges maintained by Westmorland and Furness Council

"Ambulances didn't know it was closed," he said, adding: "We had a crisis where one of our neighbours was seriously ill and the ambulance took two hours to get here instead of 45 minutes."

The closure has also affected businesses because trips "that would have been two miles can take 25 minutes," he added.

Westmorland and Furness Council, controlled by the Liberal Democrats, said its high number of historic bridges had to be maintained using heritage methods and materials.

"Out of the 1,075 bridges we are responsible for across Westmorland and Furness, 42 have a weight restriction in place, equating to only 4% of our bridge stock which is in line with the national average for England," a spokesperson said.

"Ensuring the highway network is reliable and safe is a top priority for the council and we understand how important historical assets such as bridges are to local communities."

It said £2.4m was being invested in maintaining structures including bridges, and £157m government funding was being received over the next nine years to improve its highways infrastructure.

'Need more money'

Council data seen by the BBC showed there are at least 169 smaller bridges in a poor or very poor condition across the north-east of England, North Yorkshire and Cumbria.

That figure is likely to be significantly higher, because four councils did not return our request for information.

Some bridges are closed, while others have restrictions in place ahead of costly structural work.

Mr Shuttleworth said Durham County Council, run as a coalition between the Lib Dems, Conservatives and independents, was spending "a further £5m on bridge assessments" in the next two years because they are "a major concern".

"If necessary they'd have to be closed for safety purposes but that's the last thing we want," he said, adding: "The government must put more money into the system."

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: "We recognise councils are facing challenges and are increasing their overall proposed funding for next year to £64.7bn - a 7.5% increase in cash terms.

"The majority of this funding is unringfenced in recognition of local councils being best placed to manage local priorities."