Winter 2025 Newsletter
 
A belated Happy New Year to all our Burley Bridge Association members and supporters.  I hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable festive season and that despite the dramatic start to 2025 in terms of the cold and snowy weather most of us had, that the New Year brings you good health and success in all your endeavours.
 
Sadly, this newsletter does not bring good news for the Burley Bridge Association as we enter the 29th year of the current campaign, which began exactly 100 years from the first recorded attempt to construct a bridge in 1896.
 
Our last newsletter sent out in Spring last year, informed you of the complex negotiations that had been taking place between the Environment Agency (EA), Planning Officers from Bradford and North Yorkshire Councils and bridge engineers, GHD, over the previous 12 months or so.  We gave full details of the concerns raised by the EA and Planning Officers and laid out the four steps BBA Trustees and Committee members thought were a possible way forward.  In summary, these were:
 

1.  To ask GHD whether the concerns raised by the EA and planning officers could be realistically addressed by engineering and design changes (removing the ‘dog-leg’ design by creating a single span bridge, increasing the height, making the design less ‘urban’).
2. Meeting with planning officers to ensure they were ‘on-board’ with a revised design before submitting new planning applications.
3. Submitting planning applications by December 2024 providing that all relevant surveys had been updated.
4. If an engineering solution was thought not to be achievable by GHD, then to take the following options to the BBA AGM in June: 

1. Close down the BBA, including the removal of charitable status with the Charity Commission.
2. ‘Mothball’ the BBA, keeping to the minimum Charity Commission requirements for registration, until such time as there was a new impetus in Burley to take the project forward.

Trustees and Committee members thought that step 4 would also apply if GHD thought they could address the engineering and design concerns satisfactorily, but that it was not thought possible to raise the necessary funds to pay for all the fees involved.
 
Developments prior to AGM
 A site meeting was held with representatives from West Riding Anglers (WRA) to discuss a possible re-alignment of the bridge to a short distance downstream of the stepping stones to enable a single span bridge.  It was agreed that consent was a possibility. It was recognised, however, that the change in location would lead to a longer span and potentially a higher tower.
 
GHD asked a London firm of architects, Knights Architects, to consider whether the design changes being requested by the EA and council planning officers, could be satisfactorily addressed.  The reason they were approached was because of their uniquely combined expertise as trained bridge engineers and architects, successfully employed by GHD in respect of the recently rebuilt Pooley Bridge in the Lake District.  This had been a complex project in an environmentally sensitive area using a mixture of traditional and contemporary materials in the design.  Initial objections from local residents and groups had apparently been satisfactorily addressed through their close engagement in the development process.
 
Knights Architects were briefed by GHD, and their views shared with the BBA and GHD.  They considered that engineering solutions could be found, taking into account the particular problems posed by the site.  They explained that their way of working would include a full consultation exercise with residents and community groups, presenting up to three choices in design and appearance as part of a community consultation and engagement process. These could include reverting back to a two-tower bridge, and / or shifting the location slightly downstream, whilst seeking to address EA and planning officers’ concerns.  Their estimate of the cost for all such work up to planning consent was, however, £30k.  
 
28th Burley Bridge AGM 25 June 2024
Three options were subsequently proposed at the AGM as detailed in the following extract from the minutes:
 
Winding up of the charity:  This would be on the basis that the current campaign had got as far as it could go and that there was no prospect of being successful in the foreseeable future.  There would be a formal Charity Commission process to go through, including calling an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to ensure that all members and supporters were informed and had an opportunity for their voice to be heard.
 
Continuing the campaign:  This would involve a major fundraising campaign to raise the £30k approximately needed.  Cost would include architects fees to develop 2 or 3 options for a re-design, as proposed recently by Knights Architects, consultation with the EA over the options, and undertaking a comprehensive community consultation exercise with the 2 or 3 options.  Then taking the preferred option to pre-planning meetings with both planning officers before submitting revised plans.  The Flood Risk Assessment would also need to be updated by GHD, as well as work to ensure the designs met with ‘buildability’ requirements, and work to ensure fabrication could be sourced for the build stage.  Given that around £30k had been spent by the BBA to prepare for the recent planning applications, accumulated over a period of time, this option would also probably take some time to complete. It was also important to note that the current committee was feeling quite exhausted following the effort taken to reach the current situation. At the very least, more trustees / committee members would be needed along with the motivation to fundraise for the £30k.
 
Pausing the campaign:  This would involve retaining the charitable status of the BBA, providing the necessary annual reports to the Charity Commission, but only keeping to the minimum of activity.  Trustees and committee members would meet for the minimum of two meetings a year, and there would be an AGM.  The hope would be that at some point there would be renewed interest in the campaign for a bridge for safety reasons and because of the benefits of extending year round access to the north bank for recreation – particularly with the village continuing to expand.  If the BBA remained in existence, then it was more likely that the knowledge and lessons learnt so far would not be lost, and it would be easier to re-float the campaign.
 
Discussion of options at AGM:
In the AGM discussion, it was accepted that continuing the current campaign was not feasible, given the size of the challenge in raising the amount of funding needed, the exhaustion of the current committee and the absence of new blood.  It was recognised that although £30k could get the campaign through to planning approval, there would then be significant fundraising needed for development and construction, including potential costs arising from a possible legal challenge.   It was also noted that the lack of support from the current Parish Council would hinder fundraising.  The overall view of the meeting was in favour of pausing the campaign rather than closure.  Trustees and committee members agreed, therefore, to consider the views expressed at the AGM at their next committee meeting in the autumn after a period of reflection.  A newsletter would then be sent out to members and supporters indicating what steps would be taken.
 
BBA Committee meeting 12 November 2024
Trustees and Committee members reviewed the discussion of options at the AGM and noted that the preferred option was to pause or ‘hibernate’ activities.  The committee discussed whether hibernating the BBA was realistic.  It was acknowledged that this could lead to a long period of inactivity, however, the committee would still need to meet and undertake responsibilities necessary to maintain Charity Commission registration.  No trustee or committee member present at the meeting indicated they had the energy or commitment to maintain these functions whilst there was no realistic chance of the bridge campaign being revitalised, and that the recommendation to members would be to proceed with closure of the BBA.  It was agreed, therefore, after consulting the BBA constitution, that an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) should be convened for members to consider this proposal (in other words, the first option discussed at the AGM).
  
Extraordinary General Meeting of the BBA
BBA trustees will, therefore, shortly convene an EGM to which all members will be invited.  In this respect, members are defined as including all Life Members, and those members paying an annual subscription during the year 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024 (no subs were requested for 2024 – 2025).  At the EGM, a resolution will be put to members to dissolve the Burley Bridge Association. This will need to be agreed by 75% of members present and voting, alternatively by decision without a vote and without any expression of dissent.  The resolution will also include a provision directing how the assets of the BBA shall be applied.  Currently these amount to approximately £1700. The view of Trustees and committee members is that this should be used to support the development and maintenance of the Yorkshire Heritage Way, including the revision and reprinting of the guidebook.  This will also help keep the need for a bridge in Burley alive for many years to come.
 
The notice for the EGM, likely to be on Thursday 27 March, will be sent out to members only in the near future, and it is hoped that as many as possible will attend this important meeting. 
 
End of an era
The Burley Bridge Association has been part of the fabric of Burley in Wharfedale for nearly three decades.  During that time, many people have contributed to the running of the organisation as committee members or more recently as charity trustees.  We also currently have around 200 households on our database of supporters and members.  While the majority are based in Burley or in neighbouring communities, there has also been a core of support from people from further afield, either through a Burley connection, or through being a member of Ramblers or other walking groups or organisations.  The current trustees and committee members would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed to the BBA, whether in time or money.  Without this continued level of support and enthusiasm for a bridge, the BBA would have folded many years ago. 

The fact that the current campaign has ultimately failed is hugely disappointing to all of us who believe that the village deserves a safe year-round crossing of the River Wharfe.  There have been many attempts over the past 130 years to achieve a bridge, and inevitably there will be more to come.  We sincerely wish this is without the sort of tragic accident which has previously spurred local councils and village leaders and residents action.  Hopefully, the lessons learnt on this occasion will be of benefit to those that will follow, and we will ensure that our archives will be accessible and of value to those that will follow us.
  
Before we go……  
It’s worth remembering two important legacies of the BBA.
 
Firstly, the BBA initiated Burley Walkers are Welcome ten years ago.  Since then, the group has transformed the footpath network in and around Burley, with 36 gates replacing stiles to improve safety and access, new footpaths in Burley Woodhead and Great Pasture, recovery of footpaths in Stead, installing a dozen benches at key sites, building and improving several small bridges (including the latest one in the photo) and regularly clearing undergrowth blocking popular routes.  Hundreds of walkers have also joined monthly and Summer Festival walks, made new friends and discovered new places to walk on their doorstep. 
 
Secondly, the BBA created the delightful Yorkshire Heritage Way long distance path between Bradford and Ripon, promoting access into the Nidderdale National Landscape. Guidebooks are selling steadily and the YHW will keep the flag flying for a bridge for many years to come!