North Shields: Under-threat footbridge has 'low' usage

North Tyneside Council wants to demolish the bridge which was built in 1936

A footbridge which has been part of the North Shields skyline for decades has a "low" number of users, a public inquiry has heard.

The Borough Road bridge is only used sporadically and would be too costly to repair, North Tyneside Council says.

Campaigners argue it is needed to cross a busy road.

The inquiry will determine whether to allow the council to abolish the public right of way on the bridge which would effectively decide its future.

North Tyneside Council has previously approved plans to demolish the structure, which has connected Tennyson Terrace and Waldo Street for more than 80 years.

However, the government needs to agree to extinguish the right of way before the crossing can be broken up.

At the opening of the inquiry at North Tyneside Register Office on Tuesday, the council said an assessment showed it was used by 113 people on 30 November.

Acting on behalf of the council, Andrew Saunders, a technical director at WSP Consultants, said additional assessments from 2015 to 2022 showed the the bridge had "low" usage.

He added an alternative route, using a parallel crossing on Borough Road, provided a suitable connection and was more popular.

Protesters say the footbridge is needed for children, parents with prams and people with disabilities

The footbridge was built in 1936 as a replacement for an iron crossing dating back to the 1850s.

North Tyneside Council has previously estimated it would cost roughly £360,000 to restore it, while building a new one would cost about £1m and demolition £63,000.

Henry Stamp, a retired planner, questioned the pedestrian surveys, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

He cast doubt on whether November would accurately reflect general usage given the weather conditions.

Residents said they feared the gradients of surrounding streets could be difficult to manage for pensioners and people with disabilities.

The hearing continues.