Bridge lights approved despite concerns for bats

A bid to illuminate a bridge over the Thames has been approved after a government planning inspector overturned an earlier refusal based on concern for bats.

The plans, submitted by Marlow Town Council, aimed to enhance the Grade I listed suspension bridge by installing upward-facing strip lighting along the deck to illuminate the suspension chains and other key structural elements.

The bridge spans the county border which meant the application was considered, and rejected, by both Buckinghamshire Council and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council in Berkshire.

They cited the possible negative impact of the lighting on protected bat species along the river.

However, a government planning inspector allowed the appeal, concluding the lighting would cause "no significant harm" to the flying nocturnal mammals.

"The proposal would therefore not result in the direct spill of light on to the river surface or below the level of the bridge. Indeed, the underside of the bridge would remain dark," said the inspector.

The decision noted that ecological assessments had found the bridge itself did not provide suitable roosting habitat for bats, with gaps between boards exposed to the elements and the towers lacking appropriate features.

While bat activity was recorded along the river, the inspector said the proposed lighting would not illuminate the water surface directly.

Any reflected light, the decision said, would need to be considered in the context of an already developed riverside environment, including illuminated buildings and the externally lit Church of All Saints.

The appeal was granted subject to conditions, including a requirement that some existing lighting on the bridge be disconnected before the new scheme was brought into use.

Heritage impacts were also considered as part of the appeal, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The inspector concluded the proposal would preserve the character and appearance of the structure and the surrounding conservation areas, noting that heritage bodies and council conservation officers had raised no objections.

Marlow Bridge was built between 1829 and 1832 and designed by William Tierney Clark.

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