Congham bridge could be restored by next spring after National Highways filled it with concrete
National Highways has been given just a few months to remove thousands of tonnes of rubble in order to restore a historic bridge after previously failing to reach deadlines.
In spring 2021, the state-owned roads company infilled St Andrew’s Lane bridge at Congham - 17 months after telling West Norfolk Council that the project would be carried out under permitted development rights.
This cost more than £126,000 and sparked concerns from nearby residents and local heritage groups.
The historic railway bridge structure once carried the King’s Lynn to Fakenham railway line.
The line closed in 1959 but the bridge has remained in use, carrying a quiet country road, St Andrews Lane, across the now-abandoned track.
In October, West Norfolk Council ordered National Highways (NH) to restore the bridge.
National Highways’ failure to remove the material within 12 months resulted in the Council asking for a retrospective planning application which members of its planning committee voted 14-0 to refuse due to conflicts with local and national policies relating to heritage and landscape.
The company has stated its intention to appeal against the decision to the Planning Inspectorate. However, the Council has now issued an enforcement notice requiring the bridge and surrounding land to be returned to its previous state within three months of the notice coming into effect on April 10 2024. Any appeal has to be submitted before this date.
National Highways has previously said that the bridge was in “very poor condition” and stated that they had safety concerns.
However, a report conducted by Jacobs in 2019 stated that the structure was in “fair” condition and could support up to 40 tonnes.
The Historical Railways Estate Group – a campaign group worried about the future of the bridge- has also spoken out.
Graeme Bickerdike, a member of The HRE Group of engineers, heritage campaigners and greenway developers, said: “National Highways acted opportunistically at Congham, unlawfully exploiting Class Q rights to undertake permanent works for routine asset management purposes. Although the bridge had a collection of defects, there was no emergency or any prospect of one, as demonstrated by the 17-month delay before the project actually started.
“To convince the Council of its case, the company misrepresented its own engineering evidence and sought to downplay the bridge’s historical significance. No traffic survey was conducted to help in assessing the risks associated with the structure, resulting in actions that were unjustified and disproportionate. They didn’t even seek the Parish Council’s view.
“The bridge was valued by the community and locals want to see it restored; we therefore welcome the issuing of an enforcement notice. Work to remove the infill should start immediately, but we expect NH to fight on.”
Michael de Whalley, chairman of Congham Parish Council, said: “National Highways’ actions were very frustrating. There are fantastic possibilities if it is reopened but how do you maintain a bridge if it is encased in concrete?
“We want them to undo the work and maintain the bridge properly in the hope it can be used as something more constructive such as a cycleway or greenway.”
National Highways has previously said it would appeal against the enforcement action and Hélène Rossiter, Head of the Historical Railways Estate at National Highways, said: “This work was essential to ensure the bridge can carry traffic safely.
“We do not feel the council’s decision adequately reflects the safety concerns raised, which is why we are lodging an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate.”
She added that if the infill were to be removed, an alternative replacement strengthening scheme would be required to ensure the road above can carry traffic safely.
Additional reporting by Owen Sennitt- Local Democracy Reporter
