Scarborough: Call to demolish North Bay railway bridge due to defects

The bridge was built in the late 1960s but was closed for safety reasons in 2020

A footbridge over Scarborough's North Bay miniature railway should be demolished due to severe defects, according to a report.

The bridge, which provided pedestrian access to the North Bay promenade from Burniston Road, closed in 2020 due to safety concerns.

Councillors deferred a decision on demolishing it earlier this year.

Officers have said repairing it would be considerably more expensive than removing it.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the planning committee in January deferred a decision following numerous objections from members of the public and councillors.

The council has since been told repairs to the bridge would cost about £79,000 and a further £10,000 would be required in 10 years for further repairs.

It is estimated the cost of demolishing the bridge would be about £26,500.

'Poor construction'

A report to the committee states the bridge was given a design life of 100 years when it was built in the late 1960s.

Officers reported the most likely cause of the "accelerated demise" has been a combination of "latent defects such as poor construction and the bridge's exposure to a harsh salt air environment given its close proximity to the sea".

Committee members in January were also concerned about the safety of redirecting pedestrians to nearby level crossing, but the report states there are plans to improve the safety and accessibility of the crossing.

The proposal will be considered at a meeting on 7 November.