Uncertainty remains surrounding 'complex' situation of damaged wall that forced railway closure
Officials are still working out who is responsible for safety work on a damaged wall that has led to the closure of a landmark railway, a town’s mayor says.
Bridgnorth Cliff Railway was closed on health and safety grounds in December when structural issues were found with a retaining wall.
The closure led to 14 of the 16 employees at the attraction being made redundant.
In a meeting of Bridgnorth Town Council on Tuesday night councillors were given an update on the situation, although press and public were excluded. The Mayor of Bridgnorth, Karen Sawbridge, told the public at the meeting that the council was treating the closure with the “utmost importance”.
She said: “As you know, the Cliff Railway has been in our town since 1892 and it was provided by the people of Bridgnorth for the people of Bridgnorth.
“There are many people, including myself, who have been saddened by its temporary closure but it is essential that I emphasise this closure is for the safety of the Cliff Railway, its employees, its users and those around the area – which the town council takes very seriously.
“This unique attraction is used by both tourists as well as being a useful means of transport for local residents moving between High Town and Low Town.
“Unfortunately, in recent weeks there has been much speculation surrounding the retaining wall and the Cliff Railway, especially with regard to the responsibility for any remedial works and the overall complexity for these potential works.
“The town council wants to reassure everyone that resolving this critical issue has been of the utmost importance for the town council and its staff, who are working on this project as a priority, with daily dialogues with the specialist advisers at a time of inclement weather, restricting the ability to complete any exploratory works in the ground.”
She added that since becoming aware of the retaining wall issues, Bridgnorth Town Council has continued to work with Shropshire Council engineers, specialist structural engineers, legal representatives, land surveyor and civil engineers.
She continued: “At this time there is still considerable uncertainty about the remedial works required, the overall costs and the legal ownership. The ownership situation is complex, dating back to 1892 when the railway opened, there are various commercial lease agreements that affect the area.
“Once we have our final recommendations from the various specialist advisers the town council will convene, discuss and approve the ways forward in a timely manner as possible.”
“Later this evening some of our preliminary information will be shared with councillors in a ‘confidential’ session. At this stage the preliminary information is confidential due to the contractual nature of the project and the associated commercial contracts that it involves.
“The Town Council will commit to sharing the approved plans for the project, once we are in a position to do so.”
