Bridge demolition plan 'smacks of incompetence'

A heritage group says the planned demolition of two former railway bridges "smacks of incompetence".

Stockton Council plans to demolish both the Crawford's and Black Squares bridges on the Castle Eden Walkway in Wynyard this autumn, pointing to deep cracks and movement that presented a risk of collapse.

Campaigners The HRE group said the bridges, which date back to Victorian times, should be protected and maintained and demolition would be an "appalling waste of money".

Councillor Nigel Cooke, cabinet member for environment, leisure and culture, said the cost of demolition was "significantly lower than the estimated cost of repairing and maintaining the structures".

The walking and cycle route is part of an old railway line through County Durham, and would be closed during the works, the Labour-led authority said.

The council said the cost of demolition was £40,000, compared to £250,000 to make the structures initially safe, but there would then be further ongoing costs to maintain and inspect the bridges.

The announcement of demolition plans for the two bridges, which are currently closed to the public, prompted sadness on social media.

Fiona Harley, from Stockton, said: "I used to take the grandchildren under there to shout and shriek. Brilliant echoes.

"Never mind, they're all grown up now, and if they've got to go, they've got to go."

The HRE group, which comprises civil engineers, greenway developers and heritage campaigners, inspected the bridges and said masonry structures were "extremely durable and surprisingly flexible".

Member Graeme Bickerdike, who writes for the Rail Engineer magazine, said the structures were "significant landmarks" that needed routine repairs.

"Neither of them carries any traffic so they don't require significant load-bearing capacity," he said.

"The council's case smacks of incompetence or scaremongering."

Cooke said due to the nature and severity of the bridges' defects, repairing would "effectively require a full rebuild" to make them safe again.

He said repairing and maintaining would "far exceed the available budget, and does not include any additional costs associated with repeat failures and any further call outs for repair and maintenance".

"While we appreciate these two bridges are familiar landmarks for many people who enjoy the Castle Eden Walkway, we have to put the public's safety first," Cooke said.

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