The HRE Group
@theHREgroup
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An alliance of walking, cycling and heritage campaigners, engineers and greenway developers who see the Historical Railways Estate as an asset for future good.
Joined December 2020
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We're toying with producing a podcast, reflecting on the past three years' campaigning and where we are now.
If you have any questions about the infilling/demolition of legacy railway structures, please post them in the comments or email us at campaign
@thehregroup
.org
1
8
15
This bridge in North Yorkshire is earmarked for infill by
@NationalHways
- to be consumed in around 3,000 tonnes of aggregate and concrete, blocking the wildlife corridor beneath it.
The ecological importance of the nation's dismantled railways must be recognised.
#GreenBridges
33
200
472
We're delighted to hear that
@EdenCouncil
has now issued an enforcement notice for removal of the infill at
#GreatMusgraveBridge
, requiring
@NationalHways
to restore the structure to its original state by 11 October 2023.
18
99
456
Planning Committee
@EdenCouncil
votes UNANIMOUSLY to REJECT
@NationalHways
planning application to retain the infill
#GreatMusgraveBridge
.
17
71
409
The shameful loss of
#GreatMusgraveBridge
is graphically conveyed in these photos from site.
A fine asset with a useful future has been wrecked by
@HighwaysEngland
deceit and the paralysis of
@EdenCouncil
.
So much damage here.
@DrNeilHudson
@CharlotteV
71
176
386
The arch void is now boxed in and the concrete will soon flow at
#GreatMusgraveBridge
.
This one has been lost, despite its demonstrable value.
Heads should be hanging in shame
@HighwaysEngland
and
@EdenCouncil
.
Ignorance, failure, deceit, recklessness: is this what we've come to?
28
92
275
Big news!
@EdenCouncil
has told
@HighwaysEngland
that "retrospective planning permission must be sought" for the infilling of
#GreatMusgraveBridge
.
This fight is not yet over.
And please note
@dgcouncil
12
67
261
Well, this feels quite big.
@DailyMailUK
reports that
@BorisJohnson
@grantshapps
will today announce that
@HighwaysEngland
bridge infilling programme is being paused, pending a proper review of the affected structures' value.
We'll see what the day brings.
24
48
219
Last week
@NationalHways
entered the property of three landowners at a bridge demolition site in Dorset - without notification or permission - to create an access route and fell trees.
This was to ensure no bats will be roosting when a forthcoming survey takes place.
Cowboys!
31
111
211
Here it is -
#GreatMusgraveBridge
without infill…or strengthening!
Yet there's no meaningful difference between its condition now and how it was before
@NationalHways
' vandalism. Every penny wasted.
The infill is piled up on the trackbed 100m further north.
So what do we think?
36
38
218
Dozens of old rail bridges remain at risk of infilling or demolition by
@NationalHways
despite many having future roles to play as transport and ecology assets.
Fine words mean nothing; only positive outcomes count.
We'll need your help fighting battles in 2022.
Are you with us?
8
101
210
In 2021, all
#GreatMusgraveBridge
needed was repointing (at worst), but
@NationalHways
spent £124K infilling it over five weeks.
Now, the process to remove the 1,600 tonnes of stone and concrete could go on for a year, bring local disruption and cost us £450K.
Just so depressing.
22
63
196
This latest photo from
@NationalHways
nicely demonstrates the scale of
#GreatMusgraveBridge
. It is a substantial historical asset, fashioned heroically by skilled craftsmen.
What happened here in 2021 was pure, unjustified vandalism. Such an act cannot be allowed to happen again.
7
41
187
At the end of a remarkable day, The HRE Group’s
@GraemBickerdike
reflects on
#GreatMusgraveBridge
and the implications of
@NationalHways
decision NOT to appeal against the rejection of its planning application.
Is a line being drawn?
#RemoveTheInfill
9
36
163
This could be the worst one yet!
#BarcombeBridge
(E Sussex) is within a conservation area, supports bats and spans a wildlife corridor.
@NationalHways
has left it to deteriorate and is now trying to infill under PD powers so the community has no voice.
The fightback starts today!
8
65
160
We love
#FreedomOfInformation
which is why
@HighwaysEngland
is trying to shut it down.
Here's an email exchange between HE's engineer and a Highways official
@CumbriaCC
HE: "We'd like to drag you into our mess at Great Musgrave please."
CCC: "Erm, thanks, but I'll pass."
8
56
159
Not long now: the tipping/compaction of stone beneath
#GreatMusgraveBridge
is almost complete.
Early next week, concrete will be pumped into the 1.5-metre void beneath the arch and the job will be done.
A victory for
@HighwaysEngland
's deceit and
@EdenCouncil
's failure.
47
58
147
So, we asked
@HighwaysEngland
for its value-for-money assessment and assurance documentation for Great Musgrave bridge infilling and repair options, as required under the terms of HE's licence.
We were told that "The requested information is not held by Highways England."
11
81
152
Prosperity is coming. Fine ornamental detailing on a colliery branch line structure. Built by Victorian craftsmen, because quality counts.
Now infill is coming.
@NationalHways
sees no value here. Condemned by risk aversion, because bureaucrats count beans.
#HeritageVandals
9
54
151
We've written to Minister
@CharlotteV
pointing out the errors she made in her statements to
@UKHouseofLords
yesterday.
We've no doubt she'll want to correct the record.
@RichardFaulkne8
5
57
147
Lochanhead bridge incorporates a skew arch, with each unique block crafted by a stonemason.
It spans the former Dumfries-Stranraer railway which is being considered for reopening; locals also have their eyes on a cycle route.
But
@HighwaysEngland
is pushing ahead with infilling.
21
68
134
Delighted to see
@guardian
shining its spotlight on Great Musgrave bridge.
@HighwaysEngland
recycled an old statement, perpetuating rubbish and quoting its Director: "Our work has preserved the structure."
So insulting to those involved in conservation.
12
47
131
The
@transportgovuk
has commissioned
@sustrans
to carry out a study into the active travel value of the 68 under-threat HRE bridges.
Similar studies are now needed into their heritage and ecological value - carried out independently, not by
@NationalHways
consulting engineers.
5
56
132
This elegant bridge - earmarked for infilling - is intended for reuse as part of a five-mile reconnection between the
@evrcumbria
and
#KirkbyStephenEast
.
A
@HighwaysEngland
engineer says it would cost £200K to infill and just £40K to strengthen.
But the policy is to infill.
8
70
138
So here's a tweet we never thought we'd write!
Today's Stakeholder Advisory Forum meeting suggests genuine change for the better - realistic, collaborative and no sign of 'infilling by default'.
Trust still needs rebuilding but...well done
@NationalHways
.
[Off to lie down now.]
9
39
141
All these bridges have real value, but all are under threat from
@HighwaysEngland
's vandals.
So far we've lost three (red) and saved three (green). More will go if we don't act.
Please RT, sign our petition and seek support.
A better future is at risk.
8
134
138
We're delighted that
@WestNorfolkBC
planning committee has voted unanimously to reject
@NationalHways
retrospective planning application for the infilling of
#ConghamBridge
and for the taking of enforcement action to ensure the structure's return to its previous state.
16
31
148
It says much about the progress that is being made in some areas that
@transportgovuk
has issued a licence for this new greenway to pass beneath Cannards Grave Rd bridge in Shepton Mallet despite
@NationalHways
&
@JacobsConnects
both OBJECTING to the planning application in 2019.
7
35
134
Tilekilns bridge near Annan will soon be infilled.
Still in fine fettle (look at the width of those joints!), it's been used for 60 years to access two acres of otherwise inaccessible property.
Deer and badgers also pass beneath.
Why doesn't
@HighwaysEngland
do the right thing?
15
61
126
This is going to take a while.
Great to see
@NationalHways
removing the infill at
#GreatMusgraveBridge
...very very slowly.
They say it's "fully reversible". To be fair, they did NOT say EASILY or CHEAPLY reversible. Or reversible without disruption.
Are they working weekends?
11
33
136
Longstanding plans to extend the S&D Railway from Midsomer Norton to Chilcompton have taken a step forward with the purchase of 750yds of trackbed.
But blocking the route beyond is a bridge infilled by
@NationalHways
in 2015.
Will NH remove the concrete to allow track relaying?
3
41
134
So,
@HighwaysEngland
vandalism of
#GreatMusgraveBridge
has made
@DailyMailUK
HE's assertion that it met with the Eden Valley Railway in Oct19 is untrue. They met Stainmore Railway officials and at no point was this bridge discussed. We have the minutes.
4
64
118
Good to see
#GreatMusgraveBridge
looking more like its old self.
Damage to the face of one stone block looks recent, probably caused by breaking out
@NationalHways
emergency concrete. We expect this will result in the structure being assessed as having a capacity of ten feathers!
11
27
128
Campaign Update 1
#5
:
68
@NationalHways
infill/demolition schemes are now paused pending review through formalised process, oversight from stakeholders and Ministerial approval.
We suspect some will be reprieved for active travel and possibly future rail use, but modest numbers.
4
35
118
More great coverage in
@DailyMailUK
, this time revealing
@HighwaysEngland
bullying culture by driving ahead with an infill scheme which cuts off two acres of a farmer's property.
No consultation.
Again, the bridge is fine and used as a wildlife corridor.
3
39
120
We've updated our campaign video with some recent photos.
This is what we risk losing - the opportunity to make a positive difference.
Please RT and encourage your family, friends and colleagues to sign our petition against
@HighwaysEngland
vandalism.
2
112
113
We're delighted that
@HfdsCouncil
has refused
@HighwaysEngland
planning applications to infill two bridges over the proposed
#HerefordHayGreenway
.
May these be the first of many!
They should now repair the bridges and grant licences for the Greenway to pass beneath them.
4
27
113
So,
@HighwaysEngland
now states that "any planned work" on Stoke Road bridge has been "put on hold" and "if a decision to go ahead with the infill was to be made at a later date, [we] would seek planning permission should the local authority decide it is required."
#ClimbDown
10
17
114
Page 25 of the Government's 'Gear Change: One Year On' report states that
@HighwaysEngland
infilling/demolition programme is being paused pending the establishment of a formal process for appraising the value of HRE structures in the context of future transport provision.
16
27
107
You know the world's gone mad when you're criticised by one of
@NationalHways
' infilling contractors for NOT being "positive"!
We've spent the past two+ years trying to save valuable legacy structures from their destructive actions.
We could not be MORE positive.
#VestedInterests
4
18
113
Heads up
@BarcombeBridge
.
Anticipating an infill scheme,
@NationalHways
has cut a swathe through nature's reclamation of Little Smeaton's old railway. Vegetation and trees cleared, making way for 3,000 tonnes of aggregate and concrete.
This is infill's footprint.
#HabitatVandals
16
60
107
A fabulous piece from
@matthew_weaver
in the
@guardian
this morning on
@NationalHways
ongoing work to remove the infill from
#GreatMusgraveBridge
.
Will they ever provide honest answers to the questions we posed?
#DontHoldYourBreath
8
57
115
There's some light under
#GreatMusgraveBridge
again as
@NationalHways
' infill removal works progress on the north side, while coring takes place to the south.
Breaking out the concrete under the arch looks tough on the workforce's backs and knees, working above their heads.
7
20
115
The bridge at Blakeney, Gloucs - to be infilled by
@HighwaysEngland
- has no realistic future transport role, but it's in Good condition and is used by deer and wild boar to access the dramatic rock cutting on its north side.
This vandalism has so many implications.
@gloswildlife
5
52
106
An unlikely Christmas present from
@NationalHways
.
On the back of exceptional community campaigning and an intervention from
@LewesDC
@zoenicholson4
, plans to infill
@BarcombeBridge
have apparently been WITHDRAWN.
Much joy in East Sussex tonight, no doubt 🥂🍾
One down, 67 to go.
What appears to be very good news today: in a letter from National Highways regarding
@BarcombeBridge
, their spokesperson says "We do not intend to infill this structure".
We're seeking clarifications to ensure this is a genuine, permanent, unequivocal stop. Feeling hopeful!
4
9
43
6
35
103
Opened in 1850, PEH/10 is at south end of Lockwood Vdt (Hudds), engineer John Hawkshaw.
It carries
#PenistoneLine
over A616 on a 55º skew. But the arch is *not* skewed; instead the span comprises five offset masonry ribs.
Magnificent!
@networkrail
so *not* earmarked for infill!
1
17
105
Apparently this is the "most viewed" UK news story on the
@guardian
website today.
Who says folk don't care about heritage...or vandalism...or Government-owned companies perpetuating deceit to get their own destructive way?
2
35
109
We've seen some inventive tabloid headlines over the past 18 months.
We particularly enjoyed 'Arch Villains' in the
@DailyMirror
.
And there was a good effort in this morning's
@MetroUK
.
8
28
103
Today we've been following in the footsteps of a great man. This bridge was engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the
#CornwallRailway
in the late 1850s, but
@HighwaysEngland
will soon bury it beneath tonnes of aggregate and concrete.
#DestroyingBrunelsLegacy
@thevicsoc
5
50
98
Dating from 1926, Congham bridge was a rare surviving example of an early modular reinforced concrete structure, designed by Wm Marriott.
Only TWO now remain, both managed by
@NationalHways
!
The bridge's £127K infilling was imposed despite its inner girders having a 44t capacity.
11
35
104
Here's our little campaign video, aimed at encouraging folk to sign the petition against
@HighwaysEngland
's infilling/demolition scheme.
We can't let them jeopardise so many plans to make valuable future use of these 134 structures.
Please sign and RT...
8
85
92
What should we do with big legacy assets?
#DouglasValleyViaduct
is an epic structure, cutting through the treetops. But it's difficult to access at either end, limiting its repurposing potential.
Like others, owner
@WiganCouncil
is struggling to fund key services.
20
25
102
The former Bridport Railway - inc Barrowland Lane bridge - features on the Dorset Historic Environment Record and passes through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Reopening it as an active travel route would boost the local economy and benefit physical/mental health.
5
30
100
As
@BorisJohnson
@grantshapps
announced a pausing of
@HighwaysEngland
infilling schemes, a list was published of 64 structures still earmarked for infilling.
Many of those supposedly reprieved could still be infilled after 2024. The threat remains real and live.
#SmokeAndMirrors
6
51
95
Vandals asked to put right the damage they've caused. How will they respond?
7
34
92
So we now know what the surviving Chuckle Brother is up to: writing media statements for
@HighwaysEngland
.
Today's comedy claim about
#GreatMusgraveBridge
is that infilling has "preserved the structure".
@EnglishHeritage
You're missing a trick here!
Apologies
@PaulChuckle2
29
45
94
At 4:30pm this afternoon, 12 months after
@NationalHways
was officially told that
#GreatMusgraveBridge
must be returned to its pre-infill state by today, work was ongoing, with the SW cutting slope still apparently awaiting topsoil.
But what did we expect?
#NotFitForPurpose
11
18
103
There's been an epiphany at
@NationalHways
.
Having converted
#GreatMusgraveBridge
into an eyesore, it apparently now wants to "protect and enhance heritage assets" as part of its environmental sustainability strategy.
It's good to know it has one.
12
31
99
We've discovered that
@NationalHways
*demolished* a pair of abutments under Class Q rights that only last 12 months by default.
It's not clear how NH intended to restore the structure to its previous condition, as would be required without
@WestNorfolkBC
written permission.
4
20
99
Justifying its
#GreatMusgraveBridge
work,
@NationalHways
has again claimed that "Infilling has preserved the structure until a long term purpose is found."
How many of you look at this photo and see "preservation"?
They insult those who lavish real care on our historic assets.
11
28
90
We have produced a paper on Barrowland Lane bridge nr Bridport, addressing arguments put forward by
@NationalHways
for the structure's demolition.
It can be downloaded from our website.
We see this bridge as an asset with future active travel potential.
3
21
95
One of two workaday structures between Fairford & Lechlade in Gloucs.
In 2009,
@sustrans
supported a cycle path proposal for the old railway. But now
@NationalHways
has earmarked the bridges for infill.
The £55K just committed to preparatory works could have helped with repairs.
12
37
86
The clamour around
#GreatMusgraveBridge
drowned out the news that
@HighwaysEngland
has been pushed into reprieving
#LochanheadBridge
by
@dgcouncil
officers.
So a structure that needed infilling "to remove the risk of future collapse" is suddenly repairable.
Now that's a miracle!
6
33
90
You can choose not to see the value in Stoke Rd bridge, as
@HighwaysEngland
does. It's tired and already partly infilled.
But it's protected for
#TheWatercressWay
.
Blinkers off: minor repairs plus muck-shifting and you've got a cycle path.
Look at the opportunity.
#UglyDuckling
3
29
88
Big news from
@matthew_weaver
@guardian
regarding the decision of
@EdenCouncil
to reject
@NationalHways
planning application to retain the
#GreatMusgraveBridge
infill.
Could this be a turning point?
6
27
93
Villagers battled to save
#HorspathBridge
because it carries their wildlife corridor.
@NationalHways
relented and repaired it instead. Super!
Then they erected ugly steel fencing across the wildlife corridor, forcing deer onto the road.
Talk about defeat from the jaws of victory!
7
36
86
The most-viewed UK News story on
@guardian
website is about a little buried bridge in Cumbria's Eden Valley.
Who would have thought it?
@matthew_weaver
4
27
91
This is one of the 134 structures threatened with infilling or demolition by
@NationalHways
when its assault on our great railway heritage was exposed two years ago. Some have since been lost.
We'll redouble our efforts to secure the remainder in 2023. We must value what we have!
2
27
94
We've just issued the following statement.
Today's move by
@BorisJohnson
@grantshapps
is welcome, but the review needs to go much further.
@HighwaysEngland
needs to consider more than just transport issues when looking at asset management options for the HRE...
2
30
91
So that's pretty clear then.
@HighwaysEngland
is forcing through the infilling of Stoke Road bridge, Itchen Stoke, under Permitted Development powers because
@sdnpa
local plan makes clear any planning application for such adverse development would be refused.
#BullyBoyTactics
18
58
89
You won't find a more benign tunnel than the one under Windsor Hill at Shepton Mallet. It's been open for decades and used extensively by the public.
But
@HighwaysEngland
has fenced it off, blocking a much-loved route through fabulous countryside.
Why do they hate active travel?
9
32
85
Photos from early in
@NationalHways
infill removal work at
#GreatMusgraveBridge
show ~10mm cracks between the blockwork walls and arch.
This suggests settlement and a likelihood that the £124K concrete 'strengthening' was serving no purpose, with no load being transferred.
🥴🙄🤨
5
22
93
Lochanhead nr Dumfries:
@HighwayEngland
: "Any work carried out by the HRE...will not thwart any...rail reopenings."
@ScotGov
: "We're studying the reopening of the Stranraer-Dumfries line."
@HighwaysEngland
: "Tough, we're blocking that line by filling in this bridge."
Cowboys.
7
42
82
They can't engage with practical reality.
Yesterday we worked through
@NationalHways
response to our paper on
#BarrowlandLaneBridge
. It was like picking pollen off a hamster's hanky!
And they don't seem to understand that unnecessarily felling trees without consent is not right.
4
22
89
These two are absolute stars!
Yesterday
@PaulWhitewick
@WhitewickV
came to
#BarcombeBridge
to support the community's efforts to prevent
@NationalHways
destructive infilling.
They reflected on the scheme with campaigners and will publish one of their fabulous videos very soon.
2
19
84
Two years ago yesterday, taking this photo pushed our campaign to another level.
One year ago yesterday,
@NationalHways
planning application to keep the
#GreatMusgraveBridge
infill was unanimously thrown out.
Still no sign of action on site, but a road closure starts on 17 July.
6
26
89
We understand that
@NationalHways
is concerned that vehicular use of the verges
@BarcombeBridge
risks overloading the structure's edge girders, partly justifying their infill plans.
But nobody appears to have mentioned this to their inspectors
@balfourbeatty
.
#ParkingFauxPas
3
25
86
Costing more than £7M,
@NationalHways
has finished its partial infilling of
@QburyTunnel
- a 1.4-mile long strategic connector between two of West Yorkshire's biggest conurbations, compromising plans for a
#BradfordHalifaxGreenway
.
They must be very proud.
13
38
77
Drawings for
@NationalHways
#BarcombeBridge
infill scheme - which involves cutting down six mature trees - show it to be similar in design to
#GreatMusgraveBridge
, but bigger in scale because the structure was built for two tracks, not one.
#EnvironmentalVandalism
10
47
85
This is
@NationalHways
definition of "sensitive" management.
At
@QburyTunnel
they've watched as the north portal disintegrated. The fallen stonework is in an adjacent heap but, rather than use it, they've botched a brick repair.
And they recently finished £7.3M of works here!
13
28
83
A
@NationalHways
engineer has told
@CumbriaCC
there was a "dropping of the arch" of
#GreatMusgraveBridge
and "SUBSTANTIAL movement of stones".
And the truth? There's been NO arch drop since 1861 and ONE 450mm stone was POSSIBLY displaced by 15mm.
No recent movement was recorded.
6
26
89
This is Galebars No.1 - just down the line from
#GreatMusgraveBridge
.
It's not on the published at-risk list, but
@NationalHways
intends to infill it for £200K. Repair would cost ~£40K.
Its loss would be another blow to the reconnection plans of
@evrcumbria
and
#StainmoreRailway
.
5
38
83
In 1862, courage and ambition skilfully crafted a structure which sat sympathetically in Cumbria's landscape.
In 2021, a distorted reality was contrived by bullies to wreck it as an asset for future generations.
Let's OBJECT to
@NationalHways
vandalism.
3
37
84
We've just done an interview for
@BBCNewsnight
about
#GreatMusgraveBridge
and the wider implications of
@HighwaysEngland
heritage vandalism.
Subject to a breaking news intervention, the item will run tonight.
2
18
81
This is what
@NationalHways
cannot understand about heritage railways. They do extraordinary things, against the odds, with modest funding.
NH, meanwhile, wastes huge amounts of taxpayers money on socially destructive schemes.
So many lessons to learn.
This is what passion, dedication, hard work & funding looks like! How amazing is this transformation of Scruton? The first photo was taken in 2010. Join our amazing
#volunteers
in preserving
#railway
#heritage
for all to enjoy!📸John Brennand & Nick Keegan
#wensleydalerailway
15
49
433
2
20
86
According to
@HighwaysEngland
, this bridge near Forfar has failed its assessment to carry 44-tonne lorries and therefore requires "urgent safety action" to "prevent an emergency arising".
Really?
REALLY?
22
36
77
The old railway beneath
#BarcombeBridge
is an ecologically sensitive habitat, with rare flora and fauna, nightingales, bats and ancient woodland.
So what should
@NationalHways
do with the structure: encase it in 1,000t of aggregate and concrete, or carry out sympathetic repairs?
7
39
82
Much PR capital is being made by
@NationalHways
over repairs to a bridge at Horspath which was slated for demolition until a community protest forced a change of heart.
What they don't mention is that they still intend to bulldoze another intriguing structure, just 540m away.
6
37
80
We spent yesterday looking at a section of old railway earmarked for a new greenway.
Demolished bridge at one end; two infilled bridges at the other.
At what point do we stop making it difficult for good people to make a positive difference?
@activetraveleng
@transportgovuk
1
23
84
Breathtaking!
@NationalHways
has asked the Eden Valley & Stainmore railways to supply detailed information for its planning application to *permanently retain* the infill at
#GreatMusgraveBridge
- a scheme that effectively tore up the railways' reconnection plans!
#NoMoralCompass
13
27
76
This place cleanses the soul.
Historical echoes harmonise with nature's soundscape in a unique immersive entanglement. And now autumn's palette bathes
#BarcombeBridge
.
But
@NationalHways
have 1,000 tonnes of determination to inflict concrete blight here.
Breathtaking.
Criminal.
5
43
76
Views please folks.
If, every year, you reject your examiners' recommendations to carry out minor repairs to a structure and it consequently deteriorates to a point where infilling/demolition can reasonably be advocated, does your previous failure to intervene undermine the case?
11
24
82
Trains were running over a Plymouth bridge within hours of it being bashed by a lorry. Some stonework was displaced by 120mm.
Meanwhile
@NationalHways
infilled Great Musgrave bridge under emergency powers because of open joints and a handful of stone blocks displaced by <15mm.
4
23
78
A first step.
@NationalHways
is claiming that "exploratory work of the infill" at
#GreatMusgraveBridge
is now underway, ahead of its removal by 11 October.
229 days and counting.
Tick tock.
3
19
79
We've reviewed 28 of 115 bridges at-risk of being infilled by
@HighwaysEngland
.
*4* on railways earmarked for reopening
*7* useful for new/existing heritage lines
*9* span proposed cycle routes
*1* listed
They are destroying transport opportunities and community aspirations.
5
36
75
So
@HighwaysEngland
has admitted it was WRONG to refuse our FoI request for info on Horspath bridge.
But we've still got next to nothing because "the 18 year scope of [our] request is unnecessarily broad".
Except we asked for documentation "SINCE 2013".
Erm, isn't that 8 years?
8
20
76
On Wednesday,
@NationalHways
contractors told locals that the demolition of Barrowland Lane bridge in Dorset is now confirmed and would be completed by the end of March.
This act would destroy any prospect of the narrow gauge rail proposal coming to fruition.
#Schr
ödingersPause
9
37
74
"We have no plans to infill or demolish any bridge where there is a known or anticipated need for it to be retained", says a senior
@HighwaysEngland
manager in response to an MP.
He doesn't seem to have read the script. What about these?
2
33
70
From the air, the value of dismantled railways as community connectors becomes very clear.
The old King's Lynn-Fakenham line is identified as the route of a potential new cycle path, but
@NationalHways
'emergency' infilling of a bridge at Congham creates an unhelpful obstruction.
2
30
79
How magnificent is this bridge?
Every voussoir geometrically unique; fashioned by craftsmen in celebration of Victorian prowess.
But it was a blot on
@NationalHways
spreadsheet: condemned for infilling under emergency powers to circumvent democratic process.
#OurValuedAssets
3
24
75
New high-res photos show more damage and mortar loss resulting from the concrete removal at
#GreatMusgraveBridge
.
@NationalHways
will repoint using inappropriate mortar, no doubt causing joints to reopen in a few years' time.
What happens then? Another emergency infill scheme?
12
25
81