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Council calls time on problematic Tramway Bridge lights




Cyril Bennis with the Tramway Bridge lights
Cyril Bennis with the Tramway Bridge lights

Stratford problematic Tramway Bridge Lights are to be turned off permanently after a series of costly breakdowns finally forced the district council to admit defeat last week.

The lights, which have been beset by problems since their installation in 2010, have cost at least £228,000 in that time, though the council have refused to clarify exactly how much has been spent, with some speculating that the real figure is closer to £300,000.

last Tuesday the district council confirmed that it will no longer continue to throw cash at the lighting scheme and while the lighting strips will remain in the bridge, they will no longer be turned on.

The original system was installed at a cost of £138,000 in 2010 as part of the World Class Stratford initiative, mostly through funding from the regional development agency, Advance West Midlands.

However in 2017 the council spent a further £90,000 to reinstate them after they stopped working.

Due to financial difficulties experienced by the company that originally installed the lights, the council was told it was unlikely they would be able to recoup any of the original £138,000 cost.

There have been further breakdowns since then, and earlier this month the Herald was contacted by a reader to say the lights on the Grade II listed bridge, were once again not working as they should be.

Former Stratford mayor Cyril Bennis, who has long criticised the council for wasting money on the Tramway Bridge lights, is demanding an apology from the authority.

“The breakdowns have become a regular occurrence over the years, it’s clear that these lights were never going to work and now they’ve lost the will to light.” he said.

“I think this all shows the sheer arrogance of the authority, the fact that they have kept shovelling money at this project is beyond belief, we need an apology from Stratford District Council for the way this has been handled, we need a better explanation.

“The length is only seventy steps or so, this must be the most expensive piece of lighting in the country.”

A spokesperson for Stratford District Council said: “Over the years great consideration has been given to the problems that have been experienced with the Tramway Bridge lights. It was always an interesting concept that unfortunately has been unable to be implemented properly due to the lack of sufficiently robust hardware and technology available to cope with the British wet weather.

“The time is now right to admit defeat, we tried, but it hasn’t worked and we can no longer justify spending further public funds on this. The hardware will stay in the ground for the foreseeable future, representing the old tramway tracks and the electrics will be disconnected.”

The Tramway Bridge lighting system was originally intended to enhance the structure’s appearance at night and create a more secure environment without daylight clutter or visually obtrusive equipment.

Its design was meant to remind people of the Bridge’s original use and was given the go-ahead by conservation planners at the district council, the Secretary of State and the Environment Agency.



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