Preston City Council cabinet member says responsibility for maintaining Tram Road Bridge lies with Lancashire County Council
A cabinet member in Preston has said the responsibility of maintaining a decaying landmark bridge lies with the county authority.
It comes after Lancashire County Council (LCC) announced it had found evidence showing that ownership of the Tram Road Bridge in Avenham Park rests with Preston City Council (PCC).
“Ownership is not in question,” said Labour coun Robert Boswell in a meeting of full council at the town hall on Thursday.
“We are debating with LCC, it’s their obligation to maintain the bridge.
“They are putting together an options paper. They are the key players in this, not PCC.
“We don’t want to make any premature announcements or decisions until we see what they are doing.”
The cabinet member for environment was answering a question put to him by Conservative coun Harry Landless.
“I think we are all aware of the situation of the Old Tram Bridge on Avenham Park,” said Coun Landless.
“It’s obviously a very valued asset to the people of Preston.
"What are you going to do to find a solution to this problem with or without the help of LCC?”
In an announcement about the Tram Road Bridge being “beyond repair” recently county coun Keith Iddon, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Our investigations have found significant evidence to suggest that the bridge falls under the ownership of PCC, showing the authority’s Parks Department applied for funding in 1965 to rebuild the bridge.”
The bridge has been shut since February after more than 200 defects were uncovered in an inspection.