Residents voice anger over paying for Cliff Railway wall repairs

Council taxpayers in the market town are currently being consulted by Bridgnorth Town Council on whether the authority should get a government loan to pay for the wall.

Bridgnorth Cliff Railway was closed on health and safety grounds a year ago this week, after the discovery of a damaged retaining wall.

Bridgnorth Town Council, who had liability for the wall, had to repair a 65-metre section of it.

Due to the emergency nature and health and safety risk posed by the damaged wall, the town council said they had to get in specialists that had conducted such work before, but the £750,000 cost far exceeds the authority's financial reserves.

A £500,000 loan from the Public Works Loan Board over 25-years, is currently being proposed. If approved by residents, the loan would add £8 a year to Council Tax bills to residents in the town.

If they refuse, Bridgnorth Town Council would be forced to pay for the wall in one lump some, seeing council tax bills increase for one year only by more than £100.

However, the news has not been welcomed by a large number of residents in the town who have taken to social media to voice their disquiet.

On the popular Love Bridgnorth Facebook page, a post about the consultation attracted more than 116 comments, many of them unhappy with the taxpayers being asked to foot the bill.

Resident Charlotte Hall said: "So what happens to those of us paying this increase per year, for 25 years against a loan, if the Cliff Railway is closed down for whatever reason? The loan still has to be paid and residents will continue to foot the bill! No way!"

Malcolm Rico Ross added: "Seems to me the council went ahead without any funding or payment plan in place so they are in contempt, consultation about who pays should have been done before works started then a vote to how payment could be made."

Steven Passmore, said: "Shouldn't you be paying it out of the council tax?. Ask Shropshire Council for some money as they seem to have a lot to waste in Shrewsbury."

While Stephen Duce added: "The recent 'emergency' repairs were probably the result of years of neglect. There may be other areas around Bridgnorth that will need expensive emergency attention."

However, Bridgnorth Town Council, which is meeting residents to answer their concerns in a number of drop-in sessions around the town, said not all comments have been negative.

Clerk, Clare Turner said: "People have had good questions, with a mix of positive and negative comments. Naturally, nobody wants to pay more but most people seem to appreciate and understand the complexity of what we are doing and why.

"It would be wrong for us to indicate how people are voting but we encourage people to come along, ask questions and give their views."

The next drop-in session takes place on Friday December 15, under the Town Hall on the market from 9am to 12 noon.