Barmouth Bridge - Petition

Gwynedd Council are considering closing Barmouth Bridge to cyclists and walkers. This is a fantastic facility used by many thousands a year and really needs to remain open. It's value is worth more than the cuts. Petition here: https://www.change.org/p/gwynedd-council-keep-barmouth-bridge-open-to-walkers-and-cyclists?recruiter=84875986&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive&rp_sharecordion_checklist=control

Signed. I went across this on the way to Holyhead and it was great, it was a nice experience as well as a way of avoiding a long trip inland (which would have involved quite a few A roads, IIRC).

Exactly the sort of thing a tourist area needs.

I trust Gwynedd Council are also considering closing some roads to save money? No?

Signed it a couple of days ago. Found out about the proposal whilst I was in Barmouth. It really would be a shame if it was closed to walkers and cyclists

We use that bridge when we go to Wales mountain biking.

Some background here:

http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2015-08-12/locals-fear-over-barmouth-bridge-closure/

The sticking point is the £30k annual cost of the right of way.

Yep, £30k to be paid to Network Rail. A private company that is effectively owned by the public through the Secretary of State for Transport.

Unbelievable really.

Just checked and, as luck would have it, Network Rail became a public body for the purposes of the FOI Act. Just lobbed a request for information to ask for confirmation of the cost of right of way access, justification of that cost and information of expenditure on their part for the footpath/cycle path.

Will see what comes back.

Well andy burnham wants to nationalise the railways but i dont know if that includes wales. Country file should be all over this rather than that gingers farm each week.

There's no way Network Rail will close this 'permissive path' (apart from on those statutory occasions where they have to close it temporarily to prevent it being adopted as a legal right of way). I expect they'll install a little toll bin at either side and we'll all move on.

This story is more of a publicity stunt from the council complaining (quite rightly I might add) about cuts being forced upon them.

Ironically if NR were to allow it to be added to the definitive map as a public right of way they'd be eligible for funding from the local highway authority (ie Gwynedd) to help maintain it...

We used that bridge for the Bryan Chapman Memorial, a lovely quick quiet route without having to go the long way round.

Closing it mean more motor traffic.

This story is more of a publicity stunt from the council complaining (quite rightly I might add) about cuts being forced upon them.

Moreso why they have to pay a lots of money for a somewhat poorly maintained walkway.

If it is (a stunt) that's quite smart. There is meant to be a toll I think, but currently nobody collects it.