Historic bridge remains closed after seven years of campaigning

A protest has marked the seventh anniversary of the closure of a historic foot bridge.

Protesters gathered at Kingsweston Iron Bridge to demand answers from Bristol City Council.

The bridge, which connects the Kingsweston estate with Blaise Castle, has been shut since it was hit by a lorry in 2015.

On Sunday, local people armed with placards lined the pavement leading up to the bridge over Kings Weston Road.

A protest has marked seven-year anniversary of the closure of Kingsweston Iron Bridge – photo: Ella Calland

Janet Poole, who organised the protest, believes the bridge closure is an accident waiting to happen.

She said: “The bridge was built in 1820 because the road was deemed too dangerous for pedestrians. If that was the case in 1820, then it’s much more dangerous now. Someone will get killed.”

Janet also said the bridge has been hit a couple of times since it was closed as the scaffolding has lowered it: “There’s not one sign saying this road is not suitable for high-sided vehicles.”

Janet Poole has been campaigning with other locals since the bridge closed in 2015 – photo: Ella Calland

In May, Marvin Rees announced that the council had applied for planning permission to carry out the work on the bridge, after putting aside £1m for the project back in February.

However, locals feel the process is not moving forward fast enough, leading many to doubt the council’s intentions.

One of the protestors, John Morris, who lives in Shirehampton, said: “The bridge has been here for a couple of hundred years. I’ve been around for 88, and known the bridge for a long time.

“And it deserves to be there for future generations to enjoy but the way that Bristol City Council has been going, some of us might not live to see it repaired, so I’m hoping that the mayor will extract his digits, get it underway and get it sorted.”

John Morris braved the wet and cold with fellow protestors on Sunday – photo: Ella Calland

The foot bridge links two popular dog walk spots – photo: Ella Calland

The peaceful protest rallied support from passing vehicles who beeped their horns in encouragement. Even local dogs showed up to try and save a key link between two dog walking parks.

Though the protesters were in high spirits, there was also a sense of exasperation over lack of action from the council.

Organiser Janet added: “We are kind of at a loss as to what to do next. I think Marvin Rees has forgotten about the area he grew up in, and is more focused on this little bubble in the city centre than anywhere else.

“I just do not know what else we can do unless we get in Marvin’s face every day down at College Green, and we would do that. Find out where he’s going every time he’s going somewhere and be there.”

A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “A planning application to raise and reinstate Kingsweston Iron Bridge was submitted in May. A date for Development Control Committee is still to be set.”

Ella Calland is reporting on Kingsweston as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media

Main photo: Lawrence Blackwell

Read next: 

• £1m repair for Kings Weston Iron Bridge finally move forward
• Mayor’s revised budget includes funds to fix Kingsweston Iron Bridge
• MP calls on mayor to end long running bridge saga

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: