Bath: Redundant Victorian Bridge likely to be demolished

It was built in 1837 with a span of 35 metres but is now corroded

A Victorian bridge in Bath that is too expensive to repair is likely to be demolished.

The structure, which runs next to Windsor Bridge, used to serve the old gas works but has been decommissioned and is redundant.

It was built in 1837 but Bath and North East Somerset Council said maintenance would be challenging and costly.

Three significant trees on the north bank of the Avon will have to be felled so it can be demolished.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the proposed 12-week works are part of the wider redevelopment of the second phase of the Bath Western Riverside, where around 1,000 homes are set to be built.

The project will also help facilitate the Bath River Line, a 6.2 mile (10km) linear park through the heart of the city, by significantly improving accessibility and safety at a key intersection.

The council said: "To retain the bridge substantial parts of its fabric would need to be removed/stabilised and re-strengthened on a period basis into the future.

"Undertaking the works would require the creation of a safe working area, necessitate road closures and removal of existing trees and vegetation to a similar extent that would be the case for the permanent removal of the bridge."

The council went out to tender last year to find a demolition crew to remove the bridge and another less than 150 metres away on the other side of Windsor Bridge that was also redundant.

The council will consider the application.