Moray Council responds to community plea to leave bridge intact - for now.
New barriers to be erected to prevent access dangerous footbridge
Following an appeal from Lossiemouth’s community councillors, plans to remove a span on the East Beach footbridge have been put on hold.
The structure, which is due to be replaced over the next 18months, was declared dangerously unsafe by bridge engineers in July 2019.
Barriers preventing public access to the bridge have been repeatedly vandalised to gain access and there are fears that more pedestrians will attempt to use the crossing.
Moray Council, which has a duty of public safety and protection from dangerous infrastructure, proposed removing one of the centre spans to prevent any further use.
But in a letter to the council’s chief executive, local representatives asked that the bridge remain intact and other solutions preventing access are implemented.
At a meeting yesterday (Thursday 30th) Moray Council chief executive, Roddy Burns, informed councillors that in response to the community request he was authorising the installation of stronger barriers to be tried as one more attempt to prevent access.
Councillors agreed, and are firmly of the view that if these are vandalised again to gain access or people circumvent them, the original plan to remove a span will be implemented in order to prevent access to the dangerous elements of the bridge.
Leader of Moray Council, Cllr Graham Leadbitter, said this was very much the last chance.
“We understand the iconic status of this footbridge to the town, and have looked at an alternative way forward with council officers.
“Fundamentally, the council has a duty imposed upon it under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 to take any necessary action to make a structure safe when it has become dangerous, which we have attempted to do by preventing access.
“It is very difficult for council staff to deal with this when a small number of individuals are determined to ignore the safety issues and wilfully damage and remove safety barriers and locks on the bridge. Equally it is causing consternation in the community where the vast majority of people recognise the safety concerns and do not try to access the bridge.
“We are supportive of action that will see stronger barriers installed but we also cannot continue sending staff to repair damage and replace safety equipment. This really is a last chance; if the barriers are vandalised again or people access the bridge in other ways we will have to take the more drastic action of removing a span.”
The Scottish Government have pledged to fund a replacement, and the process is underway to make that happen.