New plans for £7 million Telford railway footbridge approved

Councillors approved the new plans for the footbridge, which will link to Telford Central station.

Changes have been made to the pedestrian access to the bridge in a bid to cut costs.

The new bridge will replace the existing landmark red footbridge and cycle route, which council leaders say is expensive to maintain, too steep and does not comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

The plans for the footbridge had already been approved, but the changes to the design will include getting rid of a planned pedestrian access ramp.

The bridge should have a lifespan of around 150 years, and will have a covered walkway connecting the two platforms and leading onto Ironmasters Way and Rampart Way.

Access to platform two will now only be provided by stairs or a lift, after initial investigations found that the ground was less stable than previously believed.

Officers said that ground works to allow the ramp to be put in place would have cost around £6 million alone, putting the project, which is being funded by the Department of Transport, out of budget

And despite officers claiming the new bridge meets equality regulations and would be in line with the current provisions for passengers at stations including Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton, which are also accessed by either stairs or a lift.

But some councillors said they still had concerns about accessibility for disabled passengers or those with limited mobility, despite being assured by officers that the new bridge would meet requirements and have provision for emergency access to the second platform.

Councillor Nigel Dugmore said he felt the scheme was "fundamentally flawed" and, should the lift access be out of order, could leave passengers stranded.

But Simon Clifford, a spokesman for Network Rail, who attended the meeting said that a number of mitigations would be put in place so that passengers could not be left stranded.

He said: "Network Rail is supportive of this scheme. We are happy to support a scheme as iconic as this, which is very welcoming."

Councillor Ian Fletcher added: "I myself would have difficulty, if that lift is out of order, I can't access the platform."

But Councillor Chris Turley said he accepted the assurances from officers and experts.

He said: "I think this is a fantastic gateway welcoming people into Telford."

The plans were approved by a majority of four councillors to three.

It is expected that work will start on site to build the new bridge in late June or early July this year.

The new bridge is likely to be lifted into place in late February or early March 2018.

Work would then begin on the removal and demolition of the existing red bridge, with all work expected to be completed by late June or early July 2018.