Network Rail refuses to refurbish ‘eyesore’ bridge

THE company responsible for an “eyesore” railway bridge in Henley is refusing to pay for it to be refurbished.

Network Rail says it does not have the money for “cosmetic” work like the maintenance of the cast iron bridge in Mill Lane over the Henley branch line.

The Henley Society, a conservation group, has been in talks with the firm since the end of last year.

It says the bridge is a priority for its Treasures and Eyesores campaign, in which members are asked to identify areas of the town that need special attention.

Chairman Geoff Luckett wants the bridge, which is significantly rusted, to be sandblasted and repainted and for the overgrown vegetation at the side of the road to be cleared.

But in its most recent message to him, Network Rail said the bridge would only be investigated if there were structural concerns.

Mr Luckett said: “I have had lengthy email exchanges with Network Rail. They were very forthcoming and didn’t hide, coming back with their responses very quickly.

“However, they say they have absolutely no budget for cosmetic improvements to any of their facilities. If there was a structural issue then they would obviously be there in a flash. I was very disappointed. It is a dreadful eyesore on a piece of road that is used much more than people might imagine. It provides access to a free car park down by the river.  People go down there to walk their dogs and the car park also serves the Henley Town FC ground.

“There are a lot of well-to-do residents that use it and they have commented to us on the state of the overbridge.

“The grass in front really needs to be cleared, which would make it much easier for people to walk across too.”

Mr Luckett admits the work would costs thousands of pounds but feels that Network Rail should foot the bill instead of local residents having to raise the money.

He said: “One of the suggestions they made was that in the past they have jointly done things like this with local amenity groups — in other words, inviting us to come to the party with regards to cost. 

“I don’t think we’re in the market to do that and, if we were, we would want some say in who the contractor was and some part in the estimating and tendering process.

“I can imagine that if they brought their own people in from miles away, it would be an enormous expense. It is not a cheap job and I do appreciate that but the bridge is so bad. While it may not be structurally problematic at the moment, if it is allowed to go on like it is, it could become so.

“They tried to tell me that over a certain period of time 12 maintenance matters had been seen to. Well, if you look at it, it hasn’t had anything done to it for donkey’s years.”

Mr Luckett said he wanted more of the society’s 500-plus members to get involved in its campaign by suggesting “treasures and eyesores”.

Another project is the Phillimore Fountain, which has stood outside St Mary’s Church in Hart Street for decades and needs refurbishing. It was previously at the town centre crossroads.

The society is in talks with the Phillimore family and Henley Town Council about carrying out the work.

Mr Luckett said: “It needs a jolly good clean-up for one thing but there are parts of it that have broken off.

“I’d like to see it returned to being a proper fountain, which is what it was when it stood in the town centre, although I think health and safety now would preclude a drinking fountain.

“There could be a tap on the side for people to refill their water bottles rather than keep buying plastic ones.”

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “The overbridge is not in need of repair and the work suggested is deemed cosmetic and therefore not something we would prioritise to do.”