Hull is 'fed up' of filthy bridges, council says

Chanterlands Avenue railway bridge

Hull's railway bridges are so dirty, badly lit and full of nesting birds that people avoid walking under them, a councillor has said.

Chanterlands Avenue is so bad that a mock sign has been placed there, christening it "Guano Bridge".

Councillor John Robinson called on Network Rail, which is responsible for railway bridges, to do more to tackle the problem.

Network Rail said it would work with the council to address the issue.

Pigeons are part of the problem, the council reports

On Wednesday Mr Robinson tabled a motion at a meeting of Hull City Council, asking officials to meet with Network Rail to thrash out a solution for 20 bridges in the city.

Bridges in Chanterlands Avenue, Beverley Road and Dansom Lane were said to be among those most in need of a clean.

According to the motion, a lack of maintenance has left the bridges looking shabby, with nesting birds, graffiti and damaged pavements.

Mr Robinson said: "Residents in the city avoid walking under some bridges due to poor lighting and the bird mess on the pavement. Network Rail must maintain these bridges properly... so that council taxpayers aren't wasting money cleaning up problems [that Network Rail has] the power to fix.

"People are fed up of looking at graffiti on bridges and where this council wants to get tough on the issue, it's being let down by Network Rail. Residents in my area have a number of bridges around the Chanterlands Avenue and Newland Avenue area [and] these all need regular maintenance.

"A simple programme of maintenance and cleaning would have such a positive effect on those who live in the community."

In response to the concerns, a Network Rail spokesman said: "Our priority is always to ensure that our structures are safe for the trains and people that use them, and any issues that may affect this are quickly resolved. We look forward to speaking with the council to address these concerns together."