I REFER to your article on page 2 and to Richard Woods letter in the June 16 edition of the Halstead Gazette regarding the current state of Portways Footbridge in the town centre.
I have been campaigning on this matter for the last two years, including writing to the various councils concerned and our local MP.
As recently as last month I received a letter from the director of infrastructure at Braintree District Council stating the council had no plans to repair the bridge, despite an article in this newspaper to the contrary.
Further I have obtained a copy of the county engineer’s report on this footbridge and details of correspondence with Burges Salmon, solicitors to the Crown Estate.
Given the particular status of this bridge, in simple terms an unwanted and valueless asset that has defaulted to the Crown when the original owner became insolvent, the Crown Estate has no authority or obligation to carry out any repairs.
However the Crown Estate is willing to permit interested parties such as councils carry out the repairs and to recommend the granting of a new freehold to a responsible party.
Unfortunately our three local councils appear to have made no progress on this matter over the last two years, and I do not have any confidence that this situation is likely to change in the near future.
G J Farrow
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