Calls for funding to restore Tyne Bridge
There are new calls for government money to restore the iconic Tyne Bridge
It’s time to restore our beloved Tyne Bridge back to its former glory.
That is the North East’s plea to the Government, as ministers are urged to throw their weight behind the desperately needed restoration of one of the region’s greatest landmarks.
The iconic bridge is in a shocking state of rust and decay as it approaches its 100th birthday in 2028 and a new funding bid has been launched to finally see it given a long overdue makeover.
Newcastle City Council lodged a bid on Friday to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund for £18.45m that would pay for the grade II* listed bridge to be repainted and undergo a series of major maintenance works for the first time in two decades.
The bid has been backed by six local councils, the North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll, the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness, and 11 MPs from Tyneside, Wearside, and Northumberland – with support from across the political spectrum for the campaign.
In a letter to local government secretary Robert Jenrick, the group said that the Tyne Bridge was “a symbol to represent not only Newcastle but the North East across the globe” but that the cost of repairing it “far exceeds” cash-strapped councils’ resources.
And they propose inviting the Queen to Newcastle to reopen the famous structure, which was officially opened by her grandfather King George V in 1928.
A previous £40m bid to pay for a vast refurbishment of both the Tyne Bridge and the Central Motorway was submitted in summer 2019, one of 12 schemes put forward by Transport for the North to the Government’s Major Road Network fund.
It is understood that that bid still stands and local transport chiefs see it as the most appropriate source of funding for the works.
But, such is the desperation to see the bridge returned to its rightful state, the city council has opted to lodge a second bid now to reiterate the project’s huge importance to the North East and to offer the Government an alternative means of funding it. The council says it would also put in £2m of its own money.
The Levelling Up Fund bid is the fourth announced by the city council this week, on top of multi-million pound schemes to build a new leisure centre in West Denton, refurbish the Grainger Market and Old Eldon Square, and clean up the River Tyne.
Decisions on which projects will be granted funding are expected to be announced in the autumn.
The letter to Mr Jenrick was sent by Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes and signed by the leaders of Durham, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Northumberland, and Gateshead councils.
The MPs who put their name to the plea were Chi Onwurah, Catherine McKinnell, Ian Mearns, Liz Twist, Sir Alan Campbell, Mary Glindon, Kate Osborne, Emma Lewell-Buck, Sharon Hodgson, Ian Lavery, and Ian Levy. Newcastle East MP Nick Brown is also understood to have expressed his support.
The note reads: “The Tyne Bridge is an iconic structure in the North East and has become a symbol to represent not only Newcastle but the North East across the globe.
“It is a key connection for economic growth between towns and cities in our region, between the North of Tyne to South Tyneside and County Durham.
“We see it as part of a golden thread from the capital to the north east, to the capital of Scotland. Without it, it would be harder to use our economic leverage to support the levelling up agenda across the region.
“We’re exceptionally proud of the Tyne Bridge, it’s a magnificent structure, and as we gear up to celebrate its centenary, we celebrate with it the skills and vision of those who designed and built it – it was a job well done and its construction has delivered considerable benefits to the North East region.
“Unfortunately, its iconic status and current state of repair are not aligned.”
They conclude: “With Government support we have an opportunity to revitalise a key landmark and deliver a project that will have visible and immediate impact in the North East and beyond. Regardless of funding source, we would welcome your support to secure a commitment to its refurbishment in or before the forthcoming Autumn Statement.”
The Tyne Bridge was last fully painted in 2000 and the lifespan of the paintwork was 18 years.
It would take between two and three years for specialist contractors to complete the entire refurbishment scheme proposed, with council bosses hoping that work could start from late summer 2022.
The works also include steelwork and concrete repairs, stonework and masonry fixes, waterproofing, and bridge joint replacement, and more.
As part of plans to establish a new Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and slash traffic pollution in the city, the council has proposed cutting traffic on the Tyne Bridge from two lanes in each direction to just one – a move that could coincide with the maintenance works, which would require lane closures in any case.
However, it remains unclear when the CAZ plans will go ahead.