Calls to make railway bridge safer for pedestrians

A plan to make Stepping Stone Bridge in Spalding safer for pedestrians is being resurrected.

Members of the Spalding Town Forum have called for Network Rail to remove the panels surrounding the bridge to let in more light and improve the visibility.

But Network Rail has told The Voice the bridge “meets current safety standards” and lighting is down to local authorities.

Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, the chair of the Town Forum, has vowed to challenge that stance.

He said councillors had tried to deny planning permission when plans to move the bridge from Aylesbury to Spalding were mooted because of safety concerns and the lack of access for disabled people.

He said: “We should express great concern about public safety on that bridge.

“We request they review that with a view to improve the arrangements on there to change the sides of the bridge to allow more illumination and consider adding illumination to the bridge itself instead of relying on existing lights.

“Recent events and the tragic death of Sarah Everard bring this to the fore and particularly that of women walking alone at night.

“Stepping Stone Bridge is again highlighted as a problem area and members of the public, particularly members of the female population, feel using this bridge is a risk, if indeed they’re brave enough to use it. I know a number of women who don’t even in daytime because of the people who loiter about on it.

“Remove the sheet steel and replace it. We told them at the time they were an open invitation and a blank canvass to graffiti artists.

“Their ridiculous answer was anti-graffiti paint. Well that’s worked well hasn’t it?

“But notwithstanding that they completely blank out any ambient light that may come from surrounding lights. It took me two and a half years to get that light repaired because extraordinarily it was behind a Network Rail fence and the two of them couldn’t get their acts together to fix the light.”

Coun Angela Newton backed the move stating: “It’s very frightening and even in the daytime it’s not a nice place to be.

“I know when the area’s been cleaned there’s lots of nastiness you can find.

“It’s been used for all kinds of toilet requisites and maybe if the sides were open people would treat it with more respect but I feel we now need to get more from Network Rail.

“We do need lights there and before you get on to the bottom. It’s a very busy part of town and if people weren’t so fearful I believe it would be used more.”