Clophill Footbridge

09/03/2024

No posts in the past few months as work is still continuing on the roundabout, however since Friday the bridge has undergone its very first deep clean!

As part of this process the lichen has been it blasted off the original paintwork as well as the paved surface and drain holes cleaning up and unblocking.

Considering it was built in 1998 with no maintenance undertaken on it since new, it’s testament to the fact that it was really well built in the first place!

Let’s hope for many more years of continued service to the community!

09/02/2023

We were also mentioned in an article in the local press this morning, Bedford Today;

Council says it’s down to budget constraints and strength of local oposition

06/02/2023

We also got a mention on the BBC national news website!

Council says rising construction costs and the strength of public feeling made it reassess plans.

06/02/2023

This mornings interview with Justin Dealey on the BBC 3CR Breakfast Show.

06/02/2023

Earlier this morning we had the opportunity to speak again with BBC 3 Counties radio to follow up on the original interview from last summer to where we are now.

If you missed the interview first time around, then you can listen again via the BBC Sounds app or on the BBC website.

We’d like to take the opportunity to once again thank Clophill Parish Council who played an important part of the story in unanimously rejecting the original plans, as well as the many hundreds of objection letters from villagers. The outcome may have been completely different!

It’s also important to acknowledge the small amount of villagers who were always against the bridge, or were at least impartial in its potential removal.
We began this campaign solely for the purposes of safety. A bridge would always be far safer than any surface level crossing. We hope at least you concede and understand the reasons for the campaign were for the better of the majority.

03/02/2023

The press release from Central Bedfordshire Council in full

http://bit.ly/3l5aq4O

03/02/2023

**** !!!!WE DID IT!!!!! ***

After 10 months of campaigning, lobbying, door to door surveying, and speaking to the media, this morning we were made aware that Central Bedfordshire Council has significantly altered their original plans, this means the bridge will be able to stay!!

We’re a little bit in shock and can’t quite believe it ourselves, but revised plans published on CBCs website today state that the lane widening length on the eastern arm of the A507 to reduce will allow for the bridge to stay!

We understand that ultimately a revised tender by their new preferred contractor (Octavius) meant that the original cost plan submitted in 2021 was now a lot higher - and as such savings had to be found in order to allow the development to go ahead.

CBC went on to mention that the strength of public feeling was also a contributing reason to take another look at the plans.

We’re also very happy to see that Clophill Parish Council in conjunction with villagers have now also had their 30mph speed reduction requests agreed to on all arms of the A6 and A507, with the addition of Toucan crossings on 3 of the 4 approaches.

More detailed information is forthcoming, but for now we have to consider that if we had no choice to the roundabout development then this is a huge win for the village in terms of safety and common sense.

More information due shortly.

Have a great weekend!

25/12/2022

We hope everyone is having a fantastic Christmas!

Last night a vehicle left the road and careered into the barrier on the Old Silsoe Road side of the footbridge, exactly where CBC plan on having a Toucan crossing. If this doesn’t prove the necessity to keep the bridge for safety’s sake alone then we’re at a complete loss.

10/09/2022

We were recently made aware of the existence of this document. Not good reading.

08/09/2022

We’ve recently noticed temporary digital signage off the approach to the Shefford bound A507 that the road is due to be closed from the 19th to the 22nd of this month.

We’re of course concerned if it relates to the bridge. We’ve asked CBC Highways to clarify the situation and await to hear from them.

13/08/2022

We were mentioned again in the press yesterday with regards to the need for lower speed limits and to keep the bridge.

There was a very healthy return of completed responses to CBC as well as our petition but we’re yet to learn when the decision will be.

We keep pushing!

Villagers are calling for a 30mph speed limit on the road if the work is to go ahead

26/07/2022

Last month, CBC submitted planning for the roundabout works (although not with all the other planned changes).

The application can be found here on the CBC website;

http://plantech.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/PLANTECH/DCWebPages/acolnetcgi.gov?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeResultDetail&TheSystemkey=629749

Whats shocking is the fact that this pays no heed or makes no mention to the existing consultation process - therefore effectively side-stepping the whole thing!

We're of the opinion that CBC have done this intentionally, and goes someway to suggest the consultation was just a case of 'going through motions'.

If this is the case then we're truly disgusted with the way it's being engineered.