Draft:Bridge 234

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Bridge 234 was a historic bridge over the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway on the Bourne-Saxby line,^[1] with 3 arches, carrying an unsurfaced country lane, to the west of Bourne. It was demolitioned in 2022, following a dispute lasting over a year over whether it warranted preservation. It had been described as the last significant railway structure in the town.^[2]

The Bourne-Saxby line was built by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, who had gained permission to build the line on 24 June 1889.^[3] It was opened in 1893, having taken many years due to the digging of Toft Tunnel,^[3] with passenger trains beginning to run regularly the following year.^[4] The bridge was built around this time (circa 1892) alongside two other bridges,^[5] in order to maintain farm access across the line.^[6] It was built out of locally-made bricks, and had three broad elliptical arches (the central arch being the broadest, with double tracks running beneath it), carrying an unsurfaced country lane,^[7][8] and originally featured squat stone-capped rectangular piers at each end, along with a plain brick parapet. A 1903 map showed it as having two adjacent brickworks, which may have produced the bricks for the bridge.^[8]

In April 2020, an application to have it listed was rejected, as it was assessed that it lacked "the level of architectural and engineering interest", and the "overall degree of survival" for it to meet the listing criteria for a building of its age and type, while stating that it was of "some local interest as an illustration of the lost railway industry".^[8]

As part of Zone 7 of the Elsea Park housing development, in December 2020 the bridge was scheduled for demolition by Bellway Homes, which they described as 'not structurally sound', and in 'poor structural condition'.^[9][10] The Bourne Heritage Group, a local campaign group created by Steve Giullari, began to campaign against the removal of the bridge.^[11] The planning permission was recommended for approval in March 2021, however with 87 people writing against the proposal, and 5 in support.^[12] The bridge was also visited by the local MP Gareth Davies, who noted the poor condition of it, and called for additional measures to be taken to preserve the historic significance of the site.^[13] Jono Brough of the Elsea Park Community Trust stated that the bridge had 'no historical significance', and noted that it was plagued by litter and graffiti, and that it was 'not something the people of Bourne should be proud of'.^[14] The district council planning commitee met on 22 July 2021, where campaigner Steve Giullari called the proposed demolition an 'act of vandalism', with several councillors voicing their discontent at the proposal.^[15] In a meeting in August, Steve Giullari suggested that while Bellway Homes claimed the bridge was not structurally safe, he had gained independent advice that suggested otherwise. Paul Fellows, a local councillor and the mayor of the town at the time, stated that the upkeep would likely fall on the Elsea Park Community Trust, but was prevented from voicing his opposition to the preservation of the bridge.^[16] Bellway had refused to attend the meeting.^[17] A petition opposing the demolition had been signed by over 1400 people.^[18]

In September 2021, the South Kesteven District Council planning committee overwhelmingly voted against the demolition, despite legal advice to the contrary (including suggestions that they could face legal action from Bellway),^[2] with Helen Crawford (Bourne West) claiming that they were 'twenty years too late' with the measure, and Phil Dilks (Deeping St James) suggesting that the bridge could be 'quite an attraction' if it had been properly looked after.^[19] However, in May 2022, the demolition was approved by a Planning Inspector, overruling the previous District Council planning committee decision.^[5] Images of the play area that would replace it were released, the plans for which were developed alongside the Elsea Park Community Trust.^[20] A second application to have it listed was rejected in July 2022,^[21] and it was demolished later in the same year, on 2 August 2022.^[22][23]

A play area was built on the bridge's site, with bricks being reused from the bridge in its construction.^[23] A tribute to the bridge was created at the former Rippingale Railway Station in 2023, incorporating several bricks from it, which had been recovered after its demolition by Steve Giullari.^[24]