Re: Iron Bridge (Split from Roman Bridge Topic)

[CTCREP]

I will certainly take the issue with Stockport Council but have little hope that my and many other people's opinion will be heeded.  For years I have been trying to get Stockport MBC to signpost a route from Rosehill into Marple, Marple Bridge and Compstall. People arriving at Rosehill from the Macclesfield direction take one look at the Council's Waste Depot and turn back, totally unaware of the attractive areas within very easy reach. Local Cafes & Pubs and even other businesses would benefit, even the Council's attractions of Etherow Country Park, passing over the Iron Bridge,  and Chadkirk Chapel could get more visitors without increasing motor traffic It needs more people to badger the Council to cater for the people and not a minority who are only there to tick boxes in some Target Plan and are anxious not to risk some imagined Health and Safety prosecution.

[Rudolph Hucker]

Dear CTCREP,

Do not on any account take this personally but I, and many others I know, hold cyclists COLLECTIVELY responsible for the highly offensive barriers (soz Mark, you know what I mean) that were erected on the Iron Bridge allegedly on your behalf. Somehow it doesn't surprise me that you weren't consulted though. BUT! Your recent post may give us some glimmer of hope that this crime, perpetrated against the true restoration of the bridge, can be reversed. If you have the ear of Stockport MBC Officials, please can you ask them what level of petition, or other public show of opinon, would be suffcient for them to remove the barriers? And if funding their removal were then to be an issue, I'll be more than happy to hire some appropriate equipment to do the deed.....

Many kind regards,

Rudolph.

[CTCREP]

My comment  - making a mess of the Iron bridge - was not intended as a criticism of those who strove to bring the bridge back to its original glory. Their efforts have to be applauded. However it is not back to its original glory, it has had to have additional rails put in and many are suspicious of the reasons behind it.

We live in this so called Health & Safety Age when many decisions are made that seem illogical. I rather suspect that when the Bridge was first created it was to enable horses, and probably carriages as well, to pass over the bridge, and it did so for many years without any problems. It seems too much of a coincidence that the Iron Bridge was deemed unsafe at a time when all bridges were having to be inspected in order to allow heavier vehicles on our roads. Perhaps Stockport MBC got it tested within the greater scheme and it proved to be unsafe for pedestrians, but did they forget to tell the testers it was only for pedestrians?

Several cyclists, myself included, meet with Stockport MBC Officials where the cyclists try to assist in making cycing safer in Stockport. Regrettably Stockport MBC frequently put in cycling related facilities that cyclists object to, sometimes they are put in regardless of our objections,  but often before we know of them.

Although we cyclists generally abhor "Cyclists Dismount" signs, in the case of the Iron Bridge I am sure I can say for the majority of cyclists this is one place we would have been happy to dismount if it would have prevented the decision to introduce the objectionable additional barriers. To my knowledge we were never asked, but that's parr for the course, and I hope we aren't being held responsible for, in my view, these additional unnecessary barriers which unfortunately "make a mess' of the intention to bring the Bridge back to its original glory.

[admin]

The Iron Bridge isn't suitable for mounted horse riders, for that the parapets would have to be 1.8m high. The parapets on the Iron Bridge are 1.4m high, which is the minimum height for mounted cyclists. Horse riders should dismount to cross the bridge and that is why there are mounting blocks on each side. The mysterious "they" that you refer to include me, Peter, Ann Hearle, Stockport Conservation Officer Paul Hartley, English Heritage and Stockport's Highways Engineers. It's disappointing that you think we made a mess of it, perhaps you would have preferred it to fall in the river?

Returning to the topic of the Roman Bridge, the Conservation Officer has confirmed today that "I can reassure you that it has been accepted that the parapets on the bridge will not be changed. There will be mounting blocks and signs added in the vicinity to warn people of the restrictions so that any horses/cycles crossing it are to be dismounted."

[CTCREP]

It is a pity they didn't make the same response - "horse riders and cyclists dismount" before they decided to make a mess of the Iron Bridge.  Having made the Iron Bridge suitable for horse riders to ride over, why then did they provide mounting blocks?