Motorway-style bridge parapets finally to be removed in village

A WEST Sussex community has won a campaign to have motorway-style bridge parapets in the village replaced with a more acceptable brick-faced scheme reflecting the village vernacular.

The Loxwood Society and the parish council had campaigned for the past year to persuade the Wey and Arun Canal Trust to change the 1.8m high bridge parapets, which critics described as looking like something from a prison.

The new brick-based scheme has just been given permission by Chichester District Council's development control committee.

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Les Millson of the Loxwood Society said that a battle had started almost two years ago when parapets were first put up on the bridge by the trust.

"The village was very upset, to say the least, and there were public meetings, protests and the issue was regularly looked at by the parish council and the Loxwood Society. The modifications to the bridge, on the grounds of safety, had breached orginal planning approval."

Earlier this year the society and the Wey and Arun Canal Trust finally agreed to move forward, jointly fundraising to achieve enough money to fund changes to the parapet.

"Not everyone in the village thought we should do this, but we felt we had to make progress and around half of the 45,000 thought to be needed has been achieved," said Mr Millson.

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The district planning committee was told last week that agreement on the revised appearance and configuration of the new parapets, secondary walls and fencing, on and adjacent to the road bridge had been reached following detailed and extensive consultation with West Sussex County Council, the parish council, the society and the British Horse Society.

The canal trust acknowledged the present galvanised steel barriers either side of the road bridge were unacceptable and was aware the revised parapets should be implemented as soon as possible to remedy the visual harm they caused.

Under the new proposals, the present road bridge barriers - provided to ensure protection for mounted horse-riders crossing the road bridge after leaving the bridleway that formed part of the towpath - would be replaced with a 1m high concrete wall faced on both sides with good quality brick, on top of which would be a supported metal rail.

A report by planning officers, who recommended approval, said the proposal was to replace the parapet wall/barriers that flanked the recently constructed road bridge crossing the B2133.

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The total height of the new parapets would be 1.4m. A section of metal fencing would also be reduced in height.

Modifications were also proposed to secondary protective fencing on the bridleway and access paths either side of the road crossing, and the retention of the access ramp leading up from the canal side to the bridleway proper on the west side of the bridge.

Cllr John Andrews, representing the local area, said it was pleasing to see the close collaboration between the trust, the society and the parish council over both applications.

A second application from the trust for restoration of Southland Lock was also approved by the committee taking into account safeguards for nature conservation interests, including badgers, affected by the development.