The White Bridge Link, the story ...

The original remit was to provide pupils with safe and sustainable walking/cycling routes between the Steyning Grammar School and the newly formed Towers Campus in Upper Beeding. Since that beginning, various STC projects have been completed, but as time has gone by the emphasis has shifted from solely inter-school travel, to creating easier, sustainable inter-connecting routes for all members of our communities– especially those in very close proximity to each other, such as Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding.

The White Bridge Link, therefore, emerged - a major project taken on by one of the STC working parties, affectionately referred to as Working Party 9 (WP9). Their long list of responsibilities has included: identifying the new routes for walking and cycling; sourcing the funds needed; liaising with local Parish Councils, Horsham District Council (HDC) & West Sussex County Council (WSCC); locating & negotiating with path surfacing companies; agreeing re-surfacing and rights of way with land owners– the list goes on. They have been working on the scheme for over 3 years, and there have been some unwelcome bumps along the way. The most disturbing - suddenly coming out of nowhere - being the state of the White Bridge. On a routine inspection, WSCC found that the bridge was unsafe and closed it. The confidence that the end of the project was in sight, was shattered; instead, it became a distant dream. There were many months of delay, while WSCC deliberated on monies that would be available for the repair; when work could start and how long it would take to complete.

However, a new stage of positivity is now in place. As will have been seen, a gigantic crane appeared a couple of months ago to assist with the demolition of the old bridge, backed up by the ingenuity and hard work of a superb team of engineers. The last piece of the jigsaw was finally completed on 2nd October, when the new replacement bridge was successful installed. A crowd of locals were there to watch and welcome this new piece of history. Long, long ago the bridge was white, hence its’ name, but the new one is green ! However, good to keep our yesterday in place and the title, The White Bridge, is to be retained.

Now that the replacement bridge is in situ, the remaining re-surfacing of the footpath, from the pumping station to the new bridge, will be completed. The target date for this to finish is around the end of October. So, that hard won link is nearly there, but a bit of patience is still needed for just a tiny bit longer. Initially the re-surfaced pathways will remain of footpath status, but it is hoped to allow cycles in the not too distant future.

Phase One of the White Bridge project, the Saltings Way Loop - taking in the route from the Pumping Station north of Upper Beeding Bridge to Dawn Crescent - was completed a couple of months ago, as it was not affected by the bridge challenges. The public have, therefore, been able to enjoy this for quite a while and it has been very well received. There are also plans to extend the route even further by including pathways from Dacre Gardens to Upper Beeding.

The White Bridge Link is something of which we should be immensely proud – a project in touching distance of being completed, achieved with the blood, sweat and tears of a great group of people. The working party team includes local residents, representatives from local organisations and local Parish Councils plus councillors from HDC & WSCC, all headed up by the Chair, Roger Potter, driving the project forward through thick and thin. Thanks must also – of course – go to those who made it all possible by agreeing to fund the enterprise – they are: HDC (Rural England Prosperity Fund), the Wilson Memorial Trust and South Downs National Park(SDNP), together with WSCC, who worked so hard to make sure the bridge work could be included within this year’s Council budget figures.

A fantastic community effort and one well worth the wait. Watch out for the date of the official opening.