Iconic Isle Of Wight Footbridge To Be Replaced

Wednesday, 5 February 2025 06:00

By Rufus Pickles LDR

An iconic Isle of Wight footbridge in a ‘very poor’ and ‘unsafe condition’ will be replaced – and the plans have been given significant support by locals.

Shorwell Parish Council’s revised bid to replace Shorwell’s White Lady Bridge in the Grade II listed Northcourt Historic Park and Garden with a new steel and timber structure has been approved by County Hall.

The White Lady Bridge straddles Shorwell Shute around 500 metres north of Shorwell village and sits within the Isle of Wight National Landscape (IWNL).

An ‘iconic feature’ of the area, the bridge is in a ‘very poor’ and ‘unsafe condition’, according to a document submitted by the parish council’s agent, the Andrew White Planning Consultancy.

An adjacent stone memorial plaque says it was reconstructed in 1976 by public subscription and voluntary labour, with the original dating back to the 18th century.

In a Planning Statement submitted before Christmas, Shorwell Parish Council said:

“Everyone on this parish council is clear, this application represents the last chance to save this bridge. Councillors have given up their free time and energy to try to save it.

“The parish council has, with this application, taken expert advice from a highly qualified and experienced building and civil engineer.

“They have designed for us a bridge that in form mirrors the historic structures present before.

"Mitigation has now been thoroughly arranged and detailed to ensure the use of steel, shown to be necessary to maintain both the form of the bridge and the viability of the project, and the mesh, necessary for modern safety requirements, does not significantly negatively affect the aesthetic of the structure.”

Nicky Downer, the IWNL planning officer, said the parish council’s revised scheme, including ‘wood clad elements’, ‘sufficiently mitigates’ harm caused by using a metal subframe and steel mesh in the bridge’s construction.

The IWNL decided to withdraw a previous objection following ‘extensive negotiations, revised plans and the level of local support’, she added.