Nottingham: Plan approved for new bridge over River Trent

Plans for the steel arch bridge were originally unveiled in November 2021

Councillors have voted through a plan for a new bridge over the River Trent in Nottingham.

The 87m bridge would be the first new river crossing built in the city in more than 60 years.

Nottingham City Council submitted an application for the plan in February, which was later recommended for approval by council officers.

Rushcliffe Borough Council will have to approve the plan before construction can start.

That decision is expected in the coming months, the authority said.

At a meeting on Wednesday, councillors voted through the plan unanimously, praising it as a "great development".

The bridge is expected to cost in the region of £12m, having increased from £9m due to inflation since the project planning began.

It is funded by cash from the Department for Transport's (DfT) Transforming Cities Fund.

'Great development'

It will link the Trent Basin and the south bank of the river by the Hook nature reserve in Lady Bay.

Pavlos Kotsonis, Labour councillor, said it would be a great addition to the motor traffic bridges that already existed, adding that multiple areas of the city would benefit.

"I cannot think of one person who would be offended by this. It is a great development in the Trent Basin area," he said.

An online survey on the plan received 1,198 responses, with 83% supporting the scheme, 65% supporting the proposed location, and 75% liking the proposed design.

Amphitheatre-style steps will form the base of the bridge ramp, and, in addition to the main bridge, a connecting bridge over Trent Basin will also be built, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

Consultancy firm Pick Everard will deliver the bridge project alongside infrastructure group Balfour Beatty.