I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the warmer and marginally dryer weather that we are now having, after a particularly wet winter. This newsletter is very overdue because of the complexity of the situation following the advice to postpone our planning application, detailed below. Meanwhile we have been responding to a number of individual enquiries about bridge developments and we urge anyone who has any further questions or comments to contact us. Please do come to our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 25 June. This will be a crucial meeting for the Burley Bridge Association, so we do hope as many members and supporters as possible will attend and help determine what action we need to take next.
Planning application Autumn 2023 In our Spring 2023 newsletter, we informed you that BBA trustees had decided to proceed with planning applications for the bridge, despite the disappointing results of the Burley Parish Council survey and the negative views of the Parish Council itself. Whilst councillors said they were supportive of the principle of the bridge, there were concerns about aspects of the design proposed by GHD.
We finally submitted planning applications to both Bradford and North Yorkshire Councils in September 2023 after many months of preparation, including updating of the different surveys required. The application process was managed by Bowman Riley as our agents, and they had a number of conversations with both planning officers during the autumn. By December 2023, the planning officers informed our agents that they would be recommending refusal should we wish the applications to proceed to a decision. The alternative proposal was that the applications were withdrawn, with a view to resubmitting during the next twelve months without cost. In these circumstances BBA trustees felt there was no alternative but to withdraw the applications and see whether there was any possibility of addressing planning officers concerns. This is the situation we are now in, with the option of resubmitting plans by 20 December 2024.
Reasons for planning officers concerns A key reason for the planning officer’s potential refusal of consent was the objection from the Environment Agency. The EA highlighted a number of concerns:
Firstly they objected to the ‘dog-leg’ design, preferring a single span bridge. The existing ‘dog-leg’ design was created in order to follow the line of the public right of way across the stepping stones. On reaching the north bank, a second short span was created to follow the right of way to meet the beginning of the footpath towards Quaker Cottage and Askwith. Although this followed the line of the previous two tower design from Ramboll UK which received planning consent, their view had clearly changed!
Secondly, they objected to the siting of the north bank pier, as they considered it to be within the river bed and potentially obstructing the confluence of East Beck with the River Wharfe. Again, the pier was sited in the same position as the previous approved design.
Thirdly, they objected to the height of the bridge as not meeting current flood risk requirements. In this respect, height levels to address 1 in 100 year flood risk had been recently changed since the last planning application, being raised by 600mm.
The planning officers also had the following concerns:
The bridge was seen as being too high and not in keeping with the ‘low key’ rural surroundings. Their preference was for a lower structure that was less ‘urban’ in design, or for a different location.
They also preferred a simpler single span structure, rather than the ‘dog-leg’ design.
Having noted objections from members of the public and the Parish Council, if planning officers were to consider mitigating factors, they said they would want to be convinced that there was a ‘clearly demonstrated need and public benefit’.
There were concerns raised by the Rights of Way team about the width of the bridleway (min of 3 metres) being potentially compromised by the position of the south bank tower.
Meeting between GHD and the Environment Agency 1 March A Zoom meeting to try and clarify and resolve the concerns by the Environment Agency was held on 1 March between GHD and the EA attended by David Asher and Duncan Ault from the BBA. The meeting was surprisingly positive, with EA representatives appearing to acknowledge the strategic importance of the bridge in terms of local recreation, as well as the need to improve access and safety. They also acknowledged that the confluence of East Beck and the Wharfe would not be compromised by the north pier, because it would be on the rock armour on the river edge, above the normal height of the river. In addition, that the alignment of the bridge did not have to be perpendicular to the river flow. This would obviate the need for a dog-leg design. In conclusion, GHD agreed to see if design modifications could be made to create a re-aligned single span bridge as well as incorporate extra height requirements in order to address remaining EA concerns.
This remains the current position, and we have been recently reassured that GHD engineers will shortly be able to advise us whether it will be possible to accommodate the proposed changes.
Where next? There are a number of option to consider:
If GHD indicate they are able to revise the specifications for the bridge that satisfactorily address the EA concerns, then Trustees will be seeking a realistic indication of the cost of the redesign work. As our funds are virtually depleted, we will not be able to authorise GHD to proceed until we have raised sufficient income from fundraising, membership subscriptions and donations.
2.If sufficient funds had been or were likely to be raised, we would then need to meet with both planning officers as part of a pre-planning consultation process. This also has costs as it is now a paid for service. We would hope to convince the planning officers that having addressed the EA concerns that there was a clearly demonstrated need for the bridge and significant public benefit, to mitigate concerns about the design and location. 3.If planning officers were satisfied sufficiently with any revisions made to the planning application, we would then aim to submit the application by 20 December 2024. We would also have to update any surveys as necessary, given existing ones would be up to 2 years old by then. 4.If GHD are unable to achieve an engineering solution to meet with the modifications required by the EA, then Trustees believe there we will have exhausted all realistic possibilities to create a bridge at the current site. With no other location likely to be approved by landowners on both sides of the river in the foreseeable future, we will be recommending to BBA membership two choices. Firstly to shut down the BBA, completing all the necessary legal closure steps with the Charity Commission. Alternatively to ‘mothball’ the BBA, maintaining it on a low key basis sufficiently to satisfy Charity Commission requirements. This would be in the expectation that the ambition for a bridge in Burley will at some point return (as it has done regularly over the past 125 years), and that it will be of benefit to future activists and campaigners to have a head start, with good access to historical information. 5.This fourth option may also apply if it was not possible to raise sufficient funds to pay for any redesign work by GHD.
Burley Bridge Association 28th Annual General Meeting Tuesday 25 June, 7.30 Burley Library Refreshments provided!
Our AGM this year therefore comes at a very timely moment. We welcome as large an attendance as possible from you, our members and supporters, to enable the Burley Bridge Association to make a decision about the way forward. We anticipate having up to date information from GHD as to whether engineering solutions can be found to satisfy the Environment Agency, and potentially address some of the concerns from planning officers. If solutions can be found, then we hope to provide details of the fundraising needed to proceed with meeting planning officers and for taking the application forward.
Although the AGM will need to follow our normal formal agenda, we have decided not to have a speaker this year in order that sufficient time is given to looking carefully at all our options and to discussing ideas and suggestions from members and supporters. We hope to be able to conclude with a clear decision as to the future direction of the Association. Please come if you can. If you are unable to attend and given how crucial the decisions made will be, please let me know if you vest your vote with the chair.
And now for some good news! We are pleased to announce that our sister organisation, Burley in Wharfedale Walkers are Welcome, have just completed their ambitious project to radically upgrade the permissive footpath between the Great Pasture and the Goit. This has been a well-used and loved woodland path leading to the stepping stones and Burley Weir for many years. However, it has been inaccessible for people with mobility problems due to its steep and muddy nature and the numerous trip hazards of exposed tree roots crossing the path. After a number of years of negotiating with the owners of the wood, permission was finally given recently for access improvements to be made. Funding has been provided by Bradford Council’s Countryside Services Team and from Community Infrastructure Levy funds held by Burley Parish Council. Volunteers from Open Country, the disability charity based in Harrogate that promotes access to the countryside for all, together with Walkers are Welcome volunteers, spent a long day clearing undergrowth from the new route. Chevin Landscapes were then contracted to construct the footpath. This was not a straight forward project given the sloping nature of the site, but the result eventually completed this week after being held up due to the wet weather this winter and spring, is a superb addition to Burley’s accessible footpath network. A number of wheelchair and mobility scooter users have already tried it out, and there has been general approval across the community. Congratulations to all involved, particularly to our BBA committee member and Parish Council representative Duncan Ault, who has championed the project from the start.
And even more good news - The Penny Bun opens in Askwith A favourite walk from Burley to Askwith across the stepping stones to visit ‘the pub’ has now been able to resume, with the recent opening up of the renamed Penny Bun (so called after a locally sourced edible mushroom). As well as offering a first rate dining experience, we are grateful that the new owners warmly welcome walkers into the pub. We wish the business every success, and hope that one day a bridge will provide year round trade from Burley direction! The Walkers are Welcome walks leaflet, ‘Rambles from Askwith’, detailing five walks from the pub into the Nidderdale National Landscape area is available to purchase for £1.50 from the pub.
And finally, some dates for your diary – Friday May 2 to Monday May 5 2025 The Yorkshire Heritage Way will be walked from Ripon to Bradford as part of Bradford City of Culture celebrations, with support from Ilkley Community Transport. One not to miss, sunshine guaranteed!