Plea to council chief over ruined Consett bridge

Sep 7 2010 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

TWO years after an iron bridge was swept away by floods locals are still waiting for a replacement.

And former broadcaster Eileen Carr, who now faces a nine-mile detour to get to the shops, has issued a challenge to a council boss – come and live here and see how you like it!

Severe flooding swept away the iron footbridge which had linked Northumberland and Durham across the River Derwent at Shotley Grove, near Shotley Bridge, Consett, for well over 100 years.

Now Eileen fears she may have to face a third winter without a link to shops and supplies. Last year snow meant a JCB once had to cross fields to bring her shopping. Another time a tractor delivered it.

But council bosses say a wrangle over the value of land between themselves and Eileen has led to the stand-off.

For Eileen, 58, who has a smallholding on the Northumberland side of the Derwent, the lack of progress over the building of the bridge, which was swept away on September 6, 2008, means she continues to face a nine-mile round journey for basic provisions.

She has been living in a caravan in the grounds of her Forge Cottage, which faces the Derwent after the floods also extensively damaged her home.

Eileen has to drive her 4x4 jeep across seven fields, through a hotel’s grounds, then on to the A68 at Allensford, before driving back through Blackhill to reach the shops at Shotley Bridge.

She even faces a similar journey to get to her water meter on the County Durham side of the Derwent.

A land dispute between Eileen and Durham County Council, who she says offered her a “derisory amount” to build a compound on her land, means work on building a replacement bridge this summer has been halted.

But she insisted: “I am being made a scapegoat by the county council for this delay and am being blamed by other members of the community.

“But it is the council which is dragging its heels. I would like to invite its chief executive, George Garlick, to borrow my caravan for a weekend to see how he manages.

“I am facing another winter practically cut off from the outside world and I am losing my patience. A replacement bridge should be built by now and I would expect to see one before Christmas.”

Eileen said: “Before the bridge was swept away I parked my car on the other side of the river and had a one-mile drive to the shops.

“I would put my rubbish out across the water, the postman would call with my mail, and I managed perfectly well.

“The council approached me recently saying they wanted to build a compound to store their machinery, but the offer they made was derisory. Meanwhile work on the bridge is at a standstill.”

Stephen Keetley, Durham County Council’s head of technical services said: "We are still in negotiations with land owners in the area and assessing the best possible solution from an engineering, environmental, aesthetic and financial point of view. Unfortunately, until the negotiations are complete, the work cannot progress. We are, however, as keen as the residents to see the bridge reinstated.”