Plans to rebuild Llanerch Bridge scrapped despite £1.5m spent
The cabinet yesterday (Tuesday) considered a report on rebuilding Llanerch Bridge after the original structure was destroyed during Storm Christoph in January 2021, when the River Clwyd burst its banks.
Council officers warned that if they drilled into the riverbed, it could contaminate a water supply to 85,000 homes.
That's because the old bridge was above a vital freshwater aquifer that Dwr Cymru Welsh Water use to supply drinking water to residents.
Councillors heard how drilling into sandstone layers could create fissures, contaminating the lake.
MORE: Rhyl man 'who just wanted to get home from Chester' fined for drunken abuse
Paul Jacksons, the council's head of highways and environmental services. said: 'There's not been a design solution that has been found that completely removes the risk to that water asset.
'Therefore, the detailed design stage has concluded that it is not possible to construct a new bridge without the required foundations penetrating the weathered section of sandstone and putting a potential fissure in the aquifer, and again, interrupting that water supply.
'Welsh Water has stated that drilling into the aquifer would ultimately create a pathway for the risk of the water supply being contaminated, and that could lead to several factors, including risk and safeguarding their customers.
'It is a public health risk, and Welsh Water has stated that should the risk come to fruition, rectifying the issues created by drilling into the ground would be far from straightforward and extremely costly to resolve. It may not even be feasible to repair if we drill a physical pathway into the aquifer.'
MORE: Rhyl mum and daughter create detailed post box topper in tribute to Mike Peters
He added: 'They consider this to be extremely high risk, and they would suggest we don't go ahead with this project.'
Mr Jackson said every design possible had been considered.
Last week, backbench councillors Chris Evans and James Elson argued about the inconvenience and extra cost to residents, raising the solution of a temporary bridge.
The pair said not building a bridge drastically affected the lives of residents in Tremeirchion, Rhuallt, Bodfari, Cwm, as well as those in Trefnant, Denbigh, Henllan, and Ruthin, particularly with the rise in the cost of fuel.
£1.5 million of Welsh Government funds has already been spent on the design work of the project.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Alan James also raised the matter of building a temporary bridge.
But Mr Jackson said a temporary bridge would still require the same foundations, so the risk would remain, arguing the proposal was unfeasible.
Leader Cllr Jason McLellan warned the cabinet: 'If we go ahead and start construction, knowing the risk to the damage to the aquifer, we essentially owe a duty of care to Welsh Water's customers that their water supply won't be affected, and quite clearly the advice is that it might be, so that chain of events would mean that we would be negligent and liable.
'We haven't got insurance, so we wouldn't be able to go through the insurance route. We would be liable, and it could potentially be millions. You think what the number of days without water looks like, without the ability to run a tap, boil the kettle, flush your toilet, have a shower. What does that look like for 85,000 homes after two days, three days, four days a week. Our liability would be off the scale.'
Mr Jackson said the council would improve the road network, with £950,000 already secured from Welsh Government to upgrade 'alterative routes' and the diversion to make it 'more pleasurable for commuters'.
But Cllr James Elson said the council had promised the residents a bridge.
'We must deliver on that promise,' he said.
He added there must be a solution such as a single-track bridge or a temporary 'pre-fabricated' bridge set on benches without drilling. He said the cost of such a bridge would be less than the £1.5m Denbighshire had already spent, claiming he had been given a quote by a construction company two years ago.
Mr Jackson reiterated a temporary bridge wasn't possible, explaining a bridge without foundations could present a danger to 'life and limb' during a flood.
Cllr Chris Evans then echoed Cllr Elson's comments.
'There has been very little engagement from Denbighshire Council, which has had a detriment to this project,' he said.
'This again has had a massive impact on residents, feeling the bridge is not going to get built. It has been gone for four-odd years, and we have spent, or Welsh Government have spent, £1.5m to get to a set of drawings. I think that issue alone needs to be taken to the audit and governance committee.'
Cllr Evans then claimed that a local building contractor had indicated to him a bridge was possible.
'We have not looked with conviction at the temporary bridge,' he said.
'I don't mean to be disrespectful, but Jones Brothers builds motorways. He is the person that does the job. He is the knowledgeable chap that has looked at that.'
He added: 'The residents want a crossing.'
Cllr Evans added residents and businesses were suffering and children couldn't get to school.
He asked the cabinet to defer the decision so the matter could go to full council.
But Cllr McLellan said that would put Denbighshire in the 'line of fire' for future litigation.
Corporate director Tony Ward said officers couldn't win, having been criticised for spending £1.5m on designs, with it also being suggested they hadn't done enough.
Cllr Gwyneth Ellis questioned whether a smaller bridge would need the same foundations, but Mr Jackson explained the foundations needed were due to the water pressure, not the weight on any bridge.
The cabinet voted unanimously in favour of ceasing work on the project.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Welsh constituencies with highest levels of child poverty
The study by Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty Coalition reveals that 36 per cent of children in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, and 35 per cent of children in Newport East are living in poverty after housing costs are considered. The new data show the constituencies with the highest levels of child poverty in Wales as Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, followed by Rhondda and Ogmore, and Newport East. The list also includes Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare, Aberafan Maesteg, and Clwyd North, Cardiff South and Penarth and Swansea West all of which have a 34 per cent of children living in poverty. Elsewhere, figures show that 33 per cent of children Ceredigion Preseli and Mid and South Pembrokeshire live in poverty. The research also highlights that 31 per cent of all children in Wales are living in poverty. Only two of the 35 Welsh parliamentary constituencies have fewer than 25 per cent of children living in poverty. Nationally, child poverty affects every community in Wales. This can mean children lacking food, warm clothing, and living in unsafe housing. The End Child Poverty Coalition, representing over 135 UK organisations, has raised concerns and called upon the government to address these figures. Rachel Walters, the End Child Poverty Coalition manager, said: "No child in the Wales or beyond should have to experience poverty. "These figures should demonstrate to government just how important it is to quickly address this so to prevent another generation of children from growing up in low-income families. "The government's strategy to tackle child poverty must invest in children in areas with higher levels of poverty. "As a first step the government must scrap the two-child limit to benefit payments, a policy which continues to pull children into poverty every day." The research identifies a correlation between the two-child limit and child poverty across Wales. It also emphasises the potential for devolved policy measures to lower child poverty rates. The introduction of the Scottish Child Payment has reportedly reduced poverty levels in Scotland. Dr Steffan Evans, head of policy (poverty) at the Bevan Foundation, said: "Whilst many of the key levers to tackle child poverty still remain at Westminster, this latest analysis highlights just how important a role the Welsh Government has to play in support children and their families. "The Welsh Government have taken many welcome steps over recent years to address child poverty such as the introduction of universal free school meals in primary schools and in updating the education maintenance allowance to make sure it's fit for purpose. "The latest analysis highlights that there is a need for all political parties to be bolder in their commitments to end child poverty as attention turns to the Senedd election next year."
South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Letter: Newport not at forefront of industrial revolution
It was mainly private money that was the impetus, not like the nationalisation and never-ending government subsidies that have continued and are still continuing since the end of the Second World War. Although I concede that of necessity, at that time governments had to be involved with the restart of the economy. I note that the Welsh Government has an investment, or should that be another subsidy, of £7.5 million in their Flexible Skills Programme (Argus 22nd May) for training courses. Why aren't companies training more apprentices instead of relying on the taxpayers to fund those schemes? Perhaps Jessica Morden and her fellow Labour politicians should start asking, although they might not hear the answers they want, bearing in mind the present occupiers of Westminster. Newport
BBC News
17 hours ago
- BBC News
Welsh environment law aims to protect rivers and nature
A new law which is intended to protect nature and reverse the loss of wildlife has been introduced by the Welsh government. If passed in the Senedd, it will allow members of the public to challenge organisations in Wales, including councils, on environmental issues such as water pollution. Public bodies in Wales will also be forced to publish nature recovery action plans, with targets set by the Welsh say the bill is long overdue, citing the "systemic failure" of the Welsh government and regulatory bodies "to keep our rivers clean and prosecute those who pollute them". Campaigners and politicians have repeatedly told the government to "crack on" and criticised the time it has taken to plug what has been seen as a gap in environmental protections after used to be able to complain free of charge to the European Commission if they felt their government and its public bodies were not doing enough to abide by green laws and protect nature. It could decide to investigate on their behalf and force member states to take action - notable examples involving Wales included a failure to tackle sewage discharges, addressing emissions of harmful pollutants from Aberthaw coal-fired power station in the Vale of Glamorgan as well as air pollutions levels on some of Wales' busiest roads. The UK government set up an independent Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) in 2021 to carry out a similar role for England and Northern Ireland, while the Scottish government set up an organisation called Environmental Standards Scotland in the same left Wales as the only part of the UK without permanent arrangements in repeated criticism of campaigners will now be addressed with the establishment of the Office of Environmental Governance Wales. Its role will include ensuring public authorities, such as the Welsh government, Natural Resources Wales and councils, are complying with and implementing the law. Other elements of the bill include ensuring Welsh government ministers and the regulator Natural Resources Wales apply environmental protection when making also puts "ambitious" targets focused on reversing the loss of wildlife into law with public bodies tasked with preparing and publishing a nature recovery action plan for their areas. The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs Huw Irranca-Davies described it as "crucial legislation that will empower us to address climate and nature emergencies, safeguard our environment from harm and ensure a sustainable future for Wales"."Wales is facing unprecedented challenges in respect of climate change and biodiversity with severe weather events like floods, heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires significantly impacting our communities, our ecosystems and even our economy," he said. "The urgency to act has never been greater, and this Bill is an important step in strengthening our response and oversight of action in Wales." Alex Phillips of WWF Cymru said he was "very happy" at the bill's introduction but "it has been more than eight years in the making so is long overdue". Specific targets on saving and restoring particular species and habitats will only be decided on after the bill becomes law, and with the latest stocktake of Wales' wildlife in 2023 revealing that one in six species were at risk of disappearing."Other parts of the UK have moved ahead of us in this regard and quite a number of areas," Mr Phillips said. "We've known we've had to do this for nearly a decade now, and those major issues like water pollution haven't just come overnight."Mr Phillips said research WWF had commissioned showed "a systemic failure" of Welsh government and other public bodies (as well as subsidiary bodies such as Natural Resources Wales) to act to address river pollution, "which is principally being caused by agriculture and sewage". He said: "Seven out of nine of Wales' iconic rivers protected for species and habitats of international importance are now deemed to have reached excessive levels of phosphorus pollution."The Welsh government talks a good game about nature recovery and the meeting of international commitments, but the evidence shows that this isn't being delivered on the ground." Anthony Slaughter who is the leader of Wales' Green Party described the bill as "recklessly weak".He said: "The lack of urgency for people and planet is astounding. "Communities suffering regular flooding, damaged infrastructure, land slips, and vanishing wildlife will wonder what on earth Labour are waiting for."Annie Smith, RSPB Cymru's head of nature policy and casework, said she was "delighted" that the 'Nature Positive' Bill had "finally" been laid but said she "would like to see it go even further". "As it is coming right at the end of the Senedd term, it will place the tools to drive change in the hands of the next Welsh government and Senedd and it must leave no room for doubt over the urgency of stepping up action to reverse biodiversity loss," she said.
