A historic bridge that has stood for over 250 years has been saved from potential redevelopment thanks to the efforts of two local campaigners.
Borrows Bridge, that sits over the Bridgewater canal in Runcorn, has now been granted Grade II status by Historic England after a sustained effort led by Rik Cotterill and Stephen Holloran, who campaigned to have the bridge recognised as a historical structure and save it from a new land development. Included in the listing is an old marvel of engineering- the original hand-cranked crane that sits beside the bridge.
The listing also protects the historic bridge from being altered or built on, which was also a concern for Rik and Stephen, who have themselves been maintaining the bridge against vandalism since before the application for Grade II status was filed seven months ago. The duo say that the success is one small step in their fight against the larger Sandymoor and Wharford Farm development forwarded by Homes England.
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Rik told the ECHO: "In September 2021 I woke up one day and walked across the beautiful route on the canal behind our house only to notice that a Homes England poster had been stapled to a telephone mast.
"On it was a notification of intent to survey this land for new access to open up potential development in the fields beyond. Hours of paperwork and emails later the long journey began to save it from from potential demolition.
"Workmen came and went. Alarm bells were ringing for many months but eventually after Historic England agreed to visit the site and evaluated the application, the documents were handed over in February this year. They are now officially Grade II listed."
The plans to develop the surrounding area did not pass quietly, in part thanks to Rik and Stephen who held several rallies at the bridge in the course of their campaign. The group they help lead now has almost 700 active members on Facebook.
Rik added: "Essentially, listing the bridge means that it cannot be damaged without repair or knocked down to replace it with a two lane bridge for easier access to develop the fields. There is very little space surrounding the bridge coming off the roundabout at Norton so a two lane bridge would be challenging to build.
"It makes access to the fields that little bit harder but it gives us great motivation to proceed with the campaign against the entire development itself which is still yet to have plans submitted. That's our next phase to object to."
The ECHO approached both Bridgewater Canal Company, who own the bridge, and Homes England, who are developing the surrounding area for comments.
