A planning application has been submitted to NEDDC for removal of the wooden ramp attached to the Lea Road Bridge near the railway station and replacement with a steel ramp construction.
The Civic Society has been following with interest the developments of this much loved piece of the townscape which was assessed as beyond economic repair. The structure is not listed, although the Lea Road Bridge is. Its design is unusual with only one other polygonal arch bridge remaining in the UK.
In November 2016 Derbyshire County Council produced a Heritage Impact Assessment which records the history of the ramp which is believed to date back to the 1870s. Anyone interested can read the document here.
The new structure will celebrate the appearance of the original ramp using modern materials so that historic authenticity is not blurred. It is proposed that the main members of the new ramp will be made of structural steel hollow sections. The parapet infill is proposed to be of powder coated steel mesh and the decking of glass reinforced polyester incorporating an anti-slip finish.
It is anticipated that work will begin in July with completion by November. To read the planning application details the reference number is 19/00053/LB
Update: The Authority has been unable to award a contract for the replacement of the ramp due to the price of the lowest compliant bid that was received from a public bidding process being in excess of the budget allocated to the scheme. The ramp replacement scheme is therefore being re-evaluated and discussions will be held with the local County Councillors this week to gain their views. More information will then follow.
Andy
Bout time
Cathy lewis
This sounds good to me, it is a very useful footpath.
Paul Holland
Wouldnt it be nice if there was some way of getting interested people of Dronfield to donate to the brige and in return they have their name some where on the bridge, like some places have names on the bricks.
Andy
That’s a brilliant idea
Paul Breeze
So its taken years for council chiefs on high wages to design a bridge which indians could of designed and built in no time. Money which could be better spent putting back the light bulbs in the street lamps and mend the pavements that we cannot see when its pitch black. People are scared to go out at night its so dark. I think the council need a few bulbs above their heads. UTBX