Following the sudden closure of the much-used footbridge over the M3 from Bagshot to Lightwater in October 2023, Michael has made it clear to both the Department for Transport and National Highways that the 24-month timeframe for a replacement footbridge is unacceptable, and he is working to restore this crucial route for residents as quickly as possible.
*LATEST UPDATE* 29 April 2024 - Michael received a progress report from National Highways on the replacement footbridge, which you can read below, and will continue to keep in close touch with National Highways and will share any news.
19 April 2024 – Following his virtual catch up on 12 April with Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, Michael received the following update:
Thank you for attending the meeting with my team and I on 12 April 2024. As requested, I am writing to provide more detail on the progress to date and next steps.
As discussed, I am pleased to confirm that we are still on track to install the new footbridge in May 2025. Please see below updated timeline, listing the activities in detail:
- Options identification: complete
- Options selection: complete
- Surveys: complete
- Preliminary design: ongoing - due for completion 30 April 2024. Our chosen option for the steel truss footbridge has been accepted by our Safety Engineering and Standards Team and is now being incorporated into the finalised options report.
- Detailed design: May 2024 to October 2024
- Mobilisation: October 2024
- Construction: November 2024 – May 2025 (dates to be confirmed)
We will be carrying out the following in the detailed design stage commencing in May;
- Securing technical approvals for the design and temporary works activities
- Undertaking monthly environmental surveys, including placement of reptile mats and dormice boxes to monitor any activity over the coming months and secure licenses in advance of construction if required.
- Obtaining consents from Natural England for working adjacent to the Colony Bog and Bagshot Heath Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) during construction.
- Continuing liaison with Surrey Heath Borough Council (SHBC) to secure land easements as the footprint of the new footbridge slightly extends into their land ownership boundary.
- Fabrication of the new steel footbridge, noting a pre-order is already in place with the supplier.
- Booking road space for our required traffic management and closures, working closely with our National Emergency Area Retrofit (NEAR) programme to minimise disruption.
- Preparing a detailed communications strategy to notify residents and stakeholders of the proposed closures.
- Refining and confirming construction programme and working methodology.
To keep the local communities informed, we have produced an information poster which has been placed on the approach to either side of the bridge location and around the Lightwater Leisure Centre.
We’ve also had extensive engagement with SHBC and Surrey County Council (SCC), teams and councillors over the past few months to keep them informed of the progress on the project. Our next meeting with them is on the 24 April where we will be sharing the details contained in this letter.
As previously discussed, some activities in our programme do carry some risk, however we are working collaboratively with all parties to maintain this programme to meet our target opening date.
12 April 2024 - Michael had a virtual catch-up with Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, and asked for an update on the progress so far on the replacement footbridge.
8 February 2024 - Michael has written to Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, to request an update on the preliminary design stage of the programme, and has asked if there have been any further changes to the timings for the delivery of the new footbridge.
20 December 2023 – Following their virtual meeting on 6 December, Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, wrote to Michael with additional information on how National Highways plans to expedite the delivery of the replacement footbridge. Please see a copy of the letter below.
6 December 2023 – Michael had a follow-up virtual meeting with Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, together with several other National Highways team members, for an update on the timescale for the replacement footbridge. He posted the following on his Facebook page:
On 13 October, I had a virtual meeting with Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, together with local County, Borough and Parish Councillors, Rebecca Jennings-Evans, Richard Tear, Valerie White and Katia Malcaus Cooper, when we all made clear the importance of expediting the replacement of the M3 footbridge between Bagshot and Lightwater.
Earlier this week on Wednesday 6 December, I had a follow-up virtual meeting with Christine Allen, together with several other National Highways team members, for an update on the timescale for the replacement footbridge.
National Highways originally stated it would take around 24 months, but now hopes to deliver the footbridge in May 2025, 5 months early.
I am incredibly grateful to National Highways for appreciating the impact on the communities affected by the loss of this vital route, and I also appreciate that National Highways has looked hard at running various processes in parallel to help expedite the installation of the replacement footbridge.
National Highways will share their workings and further information with me in due course, so residents can be reassured that everything is being done to speed up this process. In the meantime, National Highways has provided the following statement:
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“We understand the importance of a safe M3 crossing for the local communities and we have commenced design work for a replacement of the current bridge. Normally, this process would take in excess of two years, however, we are currently working on a programme that would allow the construction of a new structure to commence in late 2024 with a new provision being available to users from May 2025. We will be able to provide more information once surveys have been completed early in the new year.”
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This is welcome news, and I will continue to keep in touch with National Highways about anything further that can be done to ensure a new footbridge is in place as soon as possible. I will, of course, share a further update as soon as I receive any additional information.
16 October 2023 - Both the Roads Minister, Richard Holden MP, and Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, responded to Michael, and please see their letters attached below. Michael posted the following update on his Facebook Page:
“Following my virtual meeting last Friday with Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, and local County, Borough and Parish Councillors, Rebecca Jennings-Evans, Richard Tear, Valerie White and Katia Malcaus Cooper, I have since received responses from both National Highways and the Roads Minister.
Whilst it is encouraging that National Highways has confirmed it will be doing everything possible to accelerate the replacement of the bridge, hundreds of residents are inconvenienced each day through lack of access, so I will be sure to remain in close contact with National Highways to keep the pressure on. I am grateful to the Roads Minister, Richard Holden MP, for confirming he will do the same.
I am still awaiting a full timetable of the expected timings from National Highways, which I will share as soon as I can, but as you will see from the letter, National Highways is planning for the demolition of the bridge to take place in the second weekend of December, from 21:00 Friday 8th through to 06:00 Monday 11th.
National Highways has also promised to provide an FAQs document for local residents, which I will post here once received. In the meantime, should any residents have any particular thoughts or concerns they wish me to raise directly with National Highways, please do contact me at michael.gove.mp@parliament.uk”
13 October 2023 – Michael had a virtual meeting with Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, together with local County, Borough and Parish Councillors, Rebecca Jennings-Evans, Richard Tear, Valerie White and Katia Malcaus Cooper. He posted the following update on his Facebook and Instagram pages:
“I made it clear that a replacement footbridge must be in place as soon as possible, and I was very disappointed to hear National Highways maintain that the replacement would likely take between 18 - 24 months due to lengthy design, procurement and construction procedures. I reaffirmed how unacceptable this was, given the impact on the community, and explained that my constituents cannot be expected to wait such an unnecessary amount of time.
National Highways did relay that they would do everything they can to expedite the works as much as possible, but I believe they must do better and I have asked for a full timetable of expected timings for completion, which National Highways promised to provide next week.
I am awaiting a response from the Department for Transport to my correspondence last week, and following receipt of this, I will work to see what more can be done to hold National Highways to account and to press for a considerably accelerated completion of a replacement footbridge.”
9 October 2023 – Michael has formally written to the Roads Minister following their telephone conversation last Friday, and he will be meeting Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, later this week. A further update will be posted as soon as possible.
6 October 2023 – Michael telephoned the Roads Minister, Richard Holden MP, to express his concerns at the sudden closure of the bridge and also stressed that the two year time-frame mooted for its replacement was unacceptable. The Roads Minister confirmed that he and the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper MP, would take this matter up with National Highways.
Michael then met Cllr Valerie White, Borough Councillor for Bagshot and North Windlesham, that afternoon at the Whitmoor Road entrance to the footbridge, and he posted a video update on his Facebook and Instagram pages, which you can view here.
In the evening, Michael received a response from National Highways, which is attached below. As you will see, it sets out the sequence of events that lead to the emergency closure of the footbridge, and Michael plans to meet Christine Allen, National Highways’ Regional Director for the South East, as soon as possible.
4 October 2023 – Michael received the following acknowledgement from National Highways:
“Thank you for your email, and I can only apologise for the oversight – clearly you should have been informed about this situation far sooner.
I am currently discussing this with colleagues, and you will receive a full response shortly.”
3 October 2023 – Lightwater County Councillor, Rebecca Jennings-Evans, contacted Michael to inform him of the emergency closure of the footbridge over the M3 from Bagshot to Lightwater Country Park. Michael immediately wrote to National Highways and posted the following statement on his Facebook Page:
“I was hugely disappointed to learn of National Highways’ decision regarding this morning’s closure of the footbridge over the M3 from the Lighwater Country Park to Whitmoor Road in Bagshot.
I am aware just how vital a link this footbridge is between Bagshot and Lightwater, and that its closure is a massive blow to local residents, particularly those using it to travel to and from work and school.
Whilst I can very much appreciate National Highways has decided its closure is necessary due to apparent safety worries regarding the structural integrity of this bridge, I am concerned at why the decision seems to have been made with almost no forewarning, and that residents and local councillors have now been informed that it will take up to two years to be replaced.
Residents are rightly hugely aggrieved at this news, especially given that the alternative routes for crossing the M3 are both a significant diversion, and of questionable safety themselves, which is especially worrying for parents of children walking to school in the darker, colder winter months.
I also worry that this decision from National Highways will force residents who previously relied on the footbridge into their cars, further damaging the environment and worsening the already significant congestion issues along the M3 in Surrey Heath.
In light of all of the above, I have urgently written to National Highways to ask when this decision was made, and for an explanation as to why residents, councillors, and I, were not informed earlier. Further to this, looking at the considerable disruption this closure will have on so many residents’ lives, I have explained that it is absolutely necessary that National Highways urgently explores measures to expedite a completion of a replacement footbridge as soon as possible.
I am grateful to Cllr Rebecca Jennings-Evans for all of her work thus far, and have asked to speak to National Highways, with her and Cllr Richard Tear, as soon as possible to investigate further.”
