No contractor to fix Kelsey Park Bridges

The two footbridges that cross the river in Kelsey Park have been closed for several years as the bridges have rotted and become unsafe. The Council committed to spending £567,000 to repair one of the bridges in November 2022, with an estimated completion date of Summer 2024, but sadly we have now learned that the Council has been unable to find a contractor to undertake the work.

The bridges were closed in 2021 as they had become unsafe. Considerable time and money has been spent employing consultants and other experts to assess what the options are for the bridges, and it was eventually concluded that to repair both bridges would cost over £1m. The Council therefore decided to replace just one - the larger bridge at the southern end of the park - with a cost estimated at £567,000.

Despite this high estimate, it has now been reported that the Council have failed to attract any contractor to bid for the work and we understand that a new tender process will begin soon.

Local Lib Dem campaigner Gita Bapat has criticised the Council for failing to maintain the bridges - and the park itself - over many years, which she believes has led to the need too spend such a large amount of money to repair the bridges. She's disappointed that after years of waiting, the Council is unlikely to meet the promised deadline of this summer as they've failed to find a contractor. "It's really not practical to repair just one of the bridges in the park, it will affect people with mobility issues who may struggle to navigate the large space - especially if they need to use the public toilets. "

Lib Dem Councillor Chloe-Jane Ross, has expressed her disappointment at the news. "I remember Kelsey Park as being the flagship park of the borough when I was a child. I'm determined to try to find ways that Bromley Council can creatively use existing budgets to bring the park back to its former glory."