New bridge at nature reserve gets planning approval

Plans to replace an unsafe bridge at a nature reserve in Nottinghamshire have been approved more than three years after it closed.

The Works Bridge at Attenborough Nature Reserve, near Beeston, which was a public bridleway, was closed in April 2023 following a safety inspection.

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, which owns the site, said a plan to demolish the defunct bridge and replace it with a new one - which has already been constructed off-site - was approved by Broxtowe Borough Council on Friday.

The trust said work to replace the bridge was expected to begin in the next few weeks and the new structure would be in place later in the autumn.

The Works Bridge was initially closed before the trust purchased the reserve and was only reopened as a footpath - unsuitable for bikes or horses - before the site was bought in 2020.

At the time, the bridge could not be repaired to a standard required for a bridleway.

In 2023, another inspection found the bridge was no longer safe for use at all, and was fully closed.

Erin McDaid, head of communications at the trust, previously said the closure had been "quite contentious", particularly as it meant visitors and residents would have to make a lengthy diversion around the reserve.

The trust initially aimed to install a new bridge by March 2025, but the plan was hit by delays.

McDaid said new planning legislation meant a decision by the council took longer than initially expected.

Since the bridge closed, the trust had earmarked £85,000 of its funds towards the project to reopen the bridge, alongside a further £120,000 from pledges and public fundraising.

Paul Wilkinson, chief executive of the trust, said: "The project took a little bit longer than we had hoped and we appreciate everyone's understanding and patience - and of course the contributions to the finance of the project.

"We are delighted. As of last week, we have secured planning permission and we are hoping to start work in a very short amount of time."

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