Lossie footbridge closed amid structural concerns
Increased numbers using the Moray beach in the warm weather have heightened fears
Last updated 25th Jul 2019
Moray Council has explained the process which led to the decision to close the East Beach footbridge in Lossiemouth with news now that it will remain closed until it is made safe.
A visual inspection of the bridge took place on Wednesday (July 24th) following a number of concerned members of the public contacting Moray Council highlighting the perceived instability of the bridge which was seen leaning to one side.
Moray Council’s building standards officers and structural engineer assessed the bridge and deemed it to be unsafe for use at that time. A decision was then taken in terms of section 29 of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 that closure was necessary in order to protect the public and a managed evacuation of the beach was carried out.
The Council is obliged to act in these circumstances. This duty exists although the Council does not own the bridge.
The inspection found a number of supporting ties to have cracked or split on the downstream truss in the middle of the bridge. One of these ties has clearly failed recently as the broken end has not yet rusted. The bridge is also now sagging noticeably towards the downstream side.
Convener of Moray Council, Cllr Shona Morrison, said: “While the legal opinion obtained by Lossiemouth Community Development Trust states that the bridge is technically ownerless, which limits the range of options available to us, Moray Council has obligations under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 to ensure public safety"
"...the Council is obliged to act in these circumstances. This duty exists although the Council does not own the bridge..."
"This includes a requirement to close any structures that appear unsafe, hence the decision was taken on Wednesday evening to close the bridge, which was the responsible course of action"
“Elected members and Council officers are liaising with Lossiemouth Community Council, Lossiemouth Community Development Trust and Lossiemouth Business Association to consider future action"
"This is likely to require independent structural engineering advice as the evidence on which the closure decision was based cannot be relied upon for other purposes, but will be shared because of the clear public interest in this issue"
“Meantime I would urge people to refrain from climbing on or attempting to access the bridge as we have had some reports of this since the closure"
The bridge had a survey commissioned by Lossiemouth Community Trust in 2017 and the issue was highlighted by MFR News. At that time it was deemed to be “generally structurally sound” with the advice that “significant works will need to be carried out to ensure this remains the case”.
A spokesperson for Moray Council said: “The nice weather this week has understandably led to more people visiting the East Beach. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of people crossing the bridge has led to deterioration significant enough to warrant closure of the bridge in the interests of public safety. While the bridge is not the property of Moray Council, we have a responsibility to keep the public safe around such structures.”
The East Beach is still accessible via Kingston but members of the public should be aware that there will be no through path via the footbridge on-or-off the beach.