By John Baron
‘Snagging’ problems causing ongoing issues with a newly installed swing bridge in Rodley are set to be fixed within the next week or so, it’s been claimed.
Moss Bridge reopened last month – a year after work started on replacing the old bridge. It will provide a link to a planned new housing development at Airedale Mills and easy access to Rodley Cricket Club and Rodley Nature Reserve.
But concerns have continued to be expressed by Rodley residents over the manoeuvrability of the swing bridge, which some are saying is currently not fit for purpose.
“The new bridge over the canal by the reserve is quite clearly not fit for purpose,” one woman said on social media. “Half an hour sat in our car to get to the reserve. The poor guys trying to manoeuvre the bridge back, over the canal, so cars could drive over the bridge. Other members of the public were also trying to help. They were trying to align the bridge up, so that it locked into place, for the barriers to rise.
“We were trying to deliver top soil to the reserve for the bulb planting tomorrow. There was a phone number to phone for an engineer but the operator wanted a post code. Who would know what the post code would be, it’s on the canal. Clearly a fault with the bridge.
“Frightening if this happened when the houses are built and emergency services are trying to get across the canal.”
Councillor Peter Carlill (Lab, Calverley & Farsley) has also expressed concerns. He posted: “I reported these issues to the planning department who came back to say there are issues at the bridge that are going to be fixed in the next week or so.
“Hopefully this will improve the action, but it will need reviewing afterwards to make sure it is fit for purpose.”
WLD understands from planners that there are a number of ‘snagging’ issues to resolve to make the bridge fit for purpose and before planning permission conditions can be discharged.
The new bridge was installed to replace the previous link to the Airedale Mills site, which already has planning permission in principle for a new housing development.
Councillors on the south and west plans panel are set to decide a detailed planning application for 66 houses next Thursday at Leeds Civic Hall.
But Councillor Andrew Carter (Cons, Calverley and Farsley Ward) said: “We have had a weekend of problems yet again with the new bridge over the canal. It is quite clearly unfit for purpose. There is no way the planning committee should consider the associated housing development further whilst this bridge fails to operate properly.
“The council must now step in and call a halt until or unless this issue is properly and safely sorted out. Enough is enough.
“The proposed developer of the housing scheme should realise that this plan simply
can’t go ahead, and ‘get out from under.’ This situation is a major risk on a number of
levels and must now be addressed.”
You’d be mad to want to buy a house on this development (and they won’t be cheap) when your only means of access is this little bridge. By nature it will always be a fragile structure, once there’s any problem with it everyone is stuck.