Letter: Shine a Light on Walnut Bridge

Published on: 16 Jul, 2023
Updated on: 16 Jul, 2023

Walnut Bridge

From: John Yeend

Well done to The Dragon team on the great job you do with local, relevant news stories for Guildford.

I read a lot of articles (and letters!) regarding North Street development in the run-up to the election, and also about the exasperating lack of progress on the Tumbling Bay Weir footbridge. Surely the parties can thrash out a compromise (can’t they just divide the cost?) and facilitate rebuilding this small but important connection to users of the towpath.

Anyway, my main reason for writing is that it seems the new Walnut Tree Close bridge has no lighting on the bridge itself and hence will be very dark on winter nights (especially while there is new lighting on the plaza by Old Orleans).

During construction, I wrote to the borough council and also the contractor Volker, who both advised that lighting on the bridge was going to be installed under the handrail.

Perhaps someone at the council can respond? I just feel that considering the great expense of the bridge, decent lighting and the associated health & safety and security aspects are important. Simple lighting on the adjacent building would do.

Editor’s note: GBC has been invited to comment. We hope to report further on the Tumbling Bay footbridge in the near future.

Responses to Letter: Shine a Light on Walnut Bridge

Mark Stamp Reply

July 16, 2023 at 6:03 pm

I highlighted this to the borough council about two months ago, not long after the work was completed but still no resolution. This follows other examples where council contractors have not done a good enough job.

In the private sector a company would not pay another that does not compete a job to what was promised, the councils need to get better at writing and enforcing penalty clauses into contracts to ensure better value for our money.
GBC spokesperson Reply

July 17, 2023 at 7:00 pm

Walnut Tree Bridge is equipped with lighting under the handrails. This gives lighting along the full length of the bridge.

The power source for the bridge deck is different to the source for the plaza lighting. We are waiting for the utility company to schedule in the excavations and installation works required for the bridge deck.

We would like to assure pedestrians that we will resolve this issue as soon as possible.
- John Yeend Reply
  
  September 12, 2023 at 1:26 pm
  
  And still no lighting working on the bridge. Are we going to go through the winter without this being resolved?