'No reassurance' that Whitby Swing Bridge is being prioritised
Whitby Town Council says Highways bosses aren't giving the vital bridge the priority it needs
Whitby Town Council says it has no reassurance that Highways’ chiefs are giving the town’s vital Swing Bridge link the priority it needs.
At the meeting of Full Council on Tuesday 19th October, North Yorkshire County Councillor David Chance provided, in his words, ‘an unofficial report’ on recent failures of the Swing Bridge, which have seen it repeatedly stuck open over the summer and early autumn. He revealed that Highways officers have been focussed on ‘operator error’ as the cause.
Speaking at the meeting, Town Mayor, Cllr Linda Wild, said: “The county council has shown us no evidence for that and it is disingenuous of them to try to shift blame on to the dedicated local bridge staff and away from their own maintenance contractors and lack of investment.”
Following the town council’s vote to receive the report from Cllr Chance, Cllr Wild said, “The people who live in this town rely on the bridge. Annually, it’s crossed thousands of times. When it breaks down, there is no practical alternative for pedestrians. We need a reliable, working bridge.
“The computer control may be only ten years’ old, but functionally, it’s just a switch. If my lights go out, I check the fuse and I check the bulb. I could have the best performing switch in the World, but I’d still be left in the dark. I think North Yorkshire County Council needs to show us the light!"