COMMUNITY groups have expressed satisfaction with the restoration work being carried out on a historic railway bridge.

The Great Musgrave Bridge had been controversially infilled with 1,600 tonnes of stone and concrete by National Highways. 

The state-owned roads company was forced to submit a retrospective planning application to retain the infill material, but this was rejected by Eden District Council in June last year, after which an enforcement notice was issued requiring its removal by October 11. 

Whilst the work continues, the bridge remains closed. 

Complaints have been made about the diversionary route, which involves a journey of nearly 14 miles for larger vehicles, despite the two ends of the bridge being only 30 yards apart.

Tim Wells, chair of Musgrave Parish Council, said: "Lots of people believe they’re getting their own back on us for rejecting the infill scheme.

"They are meant to be responsible public servants, but we just feel bullied by them. They make it sound as though it’s our fault. The council asked them not to start their infill scheme, but they refused and forced it through under emergency rights. That’s why we are where we are," he said. 

Contractors are currently removing stone from the embankments at both sides of the bridge, revealing the blockwork walls underneath.

Graeme Bickerdike, a member of The HRE Group of engineers, heritage campaigners and greenway developers, said: "The re-emergence of Great Musgrave bridge is obviously very welcome, restoring a valued landscape asset that’s embedded in the community’s history and might yet play a role in its future, spanning a proposed link between two heritage railways.

"But this saga leaves a bad taste and many unanswered questions. National Highways has implemented a new management process since the structure’s vandalism prompted the government to intervene and halt the company’s infill programme.

"But what about the culture that was driving it: has that been transformed?”

National Highways’ planning application to retain infill at another legacy railway bridge near King’s Lynn is expected to be determined by the local council’s planning committee in the next six weeks. 

National Highways’ head of the Historical Railways Estate Hélène Rossiter said:  “Britain’s railway heritage is a cherished part of our cultural history. National Highways is proud of our role in preserving the Historical Railways Estate for the nation.

"We are making steady progress at Great Musgrave Bridge in Cumbria, where we are removing the fill material from under the bridge.

"This is a delicate process restoring the bridge to its previous condition and, once complete, we will re-point the arch, assess the structure alongside the Highways Authority and carry out additional necessary strengthening work so the bridge can continue being used safely by the public.

"We’d like to thank the local community in Great Musgrave for their patience while we are working on the bridge.

"We’ll keep listening and responding to local community needs to inform our decisions on our management of the Historical Railways Estate," she said.