Letter: The National Trust Needs to Speed Up

Published on: 12 Jan, 2025
Updated on: 12 Jan, 2025

From Anthony Mallard

In response to: Time for Action to Repair the Tumbling Bay Bridge and Restore the Wey Towpath

Alastair Smith and S Callanan make a very fair point with regard to the lack of progress by the National Trust in the re-establishment of the Tumbling Bay footbridge and the tow-path on this, once frequently used, walk along the River Wey.

However, whilst funding has apparently been secured, work will not commence for at least another year.

Why? The National Trust appears to prefer meetings and further discussion rather than decision and progress.

Take Clandon House. In 2015 fire swept through this Grade I listed building and shortly afterwards it was covered in scaffolding and plastic sheeting. I believe the building was insured and thus funds were likely to have been available in a timely way. Nevertheless, it remains in its fire damaged situation in 2025, a decade later and, I presume, in the meantime the scaffolding has had to be paid for.

I understand plans were drawn up and Allies and Morrison, a firm of Architects, were appointed in 2017. The plans produced were, I understand, opposed by a splinter group, Restore Trust, and I believe the matter remains unresolved apart from further meetings.

I am sure the National Trust will advise, using that recent and now well known and much favoured by government phrase “at pace”, meaning “at snail’s pace”, matters are moving forward but sadly, whilst we must apparently wait up to 18 months or more for the Tumbling Bay footbridge to be restored there still remains a question mark as to if and when Clandon House will be reinstated.