December
Bridges.
Bridges.
Today (27th November) we have been told that surveyors were busy along the beckside in preparation for a new bridge to be installed, for work to be done on the foundations of another, and for the designers of the new Ridge Mill Bridge. We shall keep you informed as we hear any more news.
Two things happening concerning bridges; firstly an order prohibiting the use of the public right of way using Gill Beck Bridge is to be given, full details HERE.
The reason for that closure is that a new bridge is to be installed, and the footpath to be closed can be seen HERE, it’s the blue line starting to the East (right) of Thornes Field, and finishing over the now defunct Ridge Mill Bridge.
Brian Mullins, the Rights of Way officer for North Yorkshire County Council has been very keen on seeing the rebuilding of Ridge Mill Bridge, and has been in contact with the Parish Council to say that money has been found in this financial year to progress to the next stage in this replacement.
There are many stages before a bridge can be rebuilt, the last stage undertaken being a feasibility study, and the costing of different bridge designs. A replacement for Ridge Mill Bridge will cost of the order of £220,000 and there are many reasons for this.
Firstly the bridge will be longer than the original, at around 100 feet long;
Secondly the bridge now has to satisfy the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) which means it has to be wider, at around 1.5 metres, be accessible to all users, have ramps instead of steps, and have a higher load carrying capacity;
Thirdly, bored piles have to be laid for the abutments on both banks, and the foundations for these come to around £60,000 this is because both present banks have rotational slips.
The estimate is a comparison with other types of build, tenders will be sent, and the construction precisely charged, but it will not be cheap! The preferred option is an ‘A’ frame bridge, and an example can be seen HERE, meanwhile Ridge Mill Bridge has been given a priority score of 36 out of 36.
Having accepted the design and feasibility study, the next step is to engage bridge designers who - surprise surprise! Design the bridge. That step has been taken, and it is over to those designers now.
We will keep you informed, and intend having another Parish meeting early next year if more progress is not made.
Meanwhile, for lovers of times past, HERE is a picture of Gill Beck Bridge when it used to be called Berry Bottoms.
Now I wonder who dreams these names up?
Street Lights.
The Parish Council has embarked on a plan to change defective and unadopted street lights. It can cost up to £2,000 per lamp post, but having new ones will mean that they will be safer, and once adopted by NYCC they are responsible for repairs and electricity used which is a long term investment for Cowling. This programme will take at least 5 years, at up to £5,000 each year.
The first three to be changed are:
The wall mounted street light replacements identified as LP 9, rear of Park Road and LP 13 in Middleton which should be done sometime between 23 Nov and 7 Dec.
The replacement street column (LP 10), should be installed this Friday, 20 Nov, although this is third on the programme for that day. If it is not installed on that day, it will have to be re-programmed in at a later date.