Campaigners have taken a first step towards securing the future of a historic railway bridge, with hundreds signing a petition against an infilling scheme proposed by National Highways.
HREGroup
Oct 24 – Unlawful bridge scheme gets retrospective approval
May 24 – Inquiry to determine fate of historic Norfolk bridge
Apr 24 – Campaigners’ delight at Sussex bridge refurbishment plan
Mar 24 – Council to decide future of Yorkshire’s historic infilled bridge
Feb 24 – Cumbrian bridge works challenged as infill removal cost is revealed
Dec 23 – Spring deadline to restore buried Norfolk bridge
Oct 23 – Cumbria’s historic “overloaded” bridge to reopen without strengthening
Sep 23 – Norfolk bridge awaits its fate after “harmful” infilling
Aug 23 – Cumbrian bridge emerges from infill “vandalism”
July 23 – “Unacceptable” bridge closure divides Cumbrian community for months
May 23 – Opposition grows to Norfolk’s unauthorised bridge infill
HRE Group Press release: The latest news on St Andrew’s Lane bridge at Congham, Norfolk which was infilled in 2021
May 23 – Battle stations over Norfolk’s unauthorised bridge infill
HRE Group Press release: The latest news on St Andrew’s Lane bridge at Congham, Norfolk which was infilled in 2021
Mar 2023 – “Missed opportunity” as National Highways rejects request for material from infilled bridge
Jan 2023 – Council acts as rights breached on ‘emergency’ Norfolk bridge infill
HRE Group Press release: National Highways’ strategy of using permitted development rights to carry out destructive works to historic railway structures is “unravelling”
Jan 2023 – Rare Norfolk bridge lost to “destructive forces”
HRE Group Press release: National Highways has “failed to fulfil its statutory obligations”, according to campaigners, after it infilled a historic bridge using permitted development rights that have now expired.
Dec 2022 – Council acts as rights expire on emergency bridge infill
HRE Group Press release: National Highways has been told to apply for retrospective planning permission after failing to fulfil its statutory obligations under powers used to infill a historic railway structure.
Dec 2022 – Yorkshire bridge not inspected before emergency infill scheme
HRE Group Press release on claims that a historic railway bridge had to be infilled because of a growing public safety risk despite having no recent records of its condition.
Nov 2022 – Campaigners challenge ’emergency’ bridge work
July 2022 – Campaigners urge enforcement action over tunnel infilling
HRE Group press release regarding Bradford Council’sfailure to take enforcement action after a disused railway tunnel was partially infilled using development powers which campaigners claim have been applied unlawfully.
Jun 2022 – National Highways questioned over bridge infill “sweetener”
HRE Group press release regarding the National Highways role in committing taxpayers’ money to repairing a collection of old railway structures for which it has no responsibility if it was granted planning permission for a controversial bridge infill scheme.
May 2022 – Minister asked to intervene as report exposes bridge infill failings
May 2022 – Bridge emergency “deceit” exposed
Apr 2022 – Engineers reject bridge infill “emergency”
Apr 2022 – Campaigners rally opposition to bridge infill “vandalism”
Plans to link two Cumbrian heritage railways could be sunk unless objectors convince a local council to reject a planning application to make the infilling of a Victorian bridge permanent.
Mar 2022 – Report reveals active travel potential of at-risk historic bridges
Jan 2022 – Campaigners condemn “crass” bridge request
Jan 2022 – Anger as bridge fencing blocks wildlife corridor
HRE Group Press Release on steel fencing around an historic railway bridge fencing blocking a wildlife corridor
Dec 2021 – Infill threat lifted from historic bridge
Campaigners have welcomed National Highways’ commitment to reprieve a historic railway bridge in East Sussex following robust opposition from the community and local council.
Dec 2021 – “Underhand” bridge works progressed despite Government’s infill pause
Oct 2021 – Locals furious as bridge scheme prompts unauthorised tree-felling
HRE Group report on National Highways contractor who, according to a landowner, entered their property and cut down trees without permission to make way for a bridge demolition.
Oct 2021 – MP intervenes as bridge scheme descends into “farce”
HRE Group highlighting concerns over plans to bury a historic bridge in a thousand tonnes of aggregate and concrete, blocking a wildlife corridor.
Oct 2021 – “Wrecking-ball act” threatens future of historic bridge
HRE Group highlighting concerns over the infill of a historic railway bridge within a conservation area
Sep 2021 – National Highways: “existential threat” to legacy rail structures
Aug 2021 – Highways England acting like “cowboys and bullies” over bridge scheme
A fortnight after the announcement that the infilling programme would be ‘paused’ (i.e. not stopped), The HRE Group identifies more imminent infillings
Jul 2021 – Government pauses bridge infilling schemes
Encouraging news as the Government published a progress report, Gear Change: One Year On, which reviews efforts to encourage and facilitate safe walking and cycling.
Pressure mounts on Highways England as councils push back against bridge “vandalism”
.Council officials have told Highways England that it must seek retrospective planning permission after infilling a Victorian bridge which two heritage railways need for a connecting line between their operations.
Minister condemned over “embarrassing” bridge deceit
Press Release from HRE Group regarding Highways England’s infilling and demolition of historic railway structures
Scottish bridges under threat after council’s “planning blunder”
PRESS RELEASE FROM HRE GROUP. Campaigners have called on Dumfries & Galloway Council to take urgent action after a “perverse decision” by planners threatened to make the proposed reopening of a railway more difficult and costly.
HRE Group featured on Jeremy Vine’s BBC show and in The Times…
The HRE Group has had great success gaining further publicity and raising awareness of the destruction/infilling activities of Highway England in the mainstream media this week.
Highways England slammed over bridge “preservation” claim
PRESS RELEASE FROM HRE GROUP: Campaigners have expressed their disbelief after Highways England claimed to have “preserved” a Victorian railway bridge by burying it within hundreds of tonnes of aggregate and concrete.
Video featuring member Graeme Bickerdike campaigning against HRE’s plans
10th Jun 2021 – Latest press release from HRE Group on the infilling of Great Musgrave bridge in Cumbria
**Updated 3rd Jun – May 2021 – Cumbrian railways unite against “destructive” bridge scheme
Article updated with council’s response to HRE intention to infill the bridge and a follow up letter from the HRE Group to the Chair of the Transport Committee
May 2021 – The HRE Group continuing to fight!
Apr 2021 – MPs raise concerns over Highways England’s ‘assault’ on legacy rail structures
Please help the HRE Group…
They are in need of UK-wide intelligence of proposed and planned cycle and walking paths around the country that might be threatened by the proposed HRE infilling and demolition.