Footbridge to be closed over the Christmas period

Derby City Council has confirmed a temporary footbridge will be closed over the Christmas period after it was shut off due to safety concerns.

The authority said it closed the Darley Abbey temporary footbridge, known as Walter's Walkway, on 12 December after it identified erosion to the River Derwent riverbank.

The crossing was installed over the original structure in October 2022 at a reported cost of about £300,000.

On Thursday, the city council said work had started on preparing the land for preliminary repair activity by dismantling scaffolding on the ramp to allow contractors safe access to the river bed.

It added on Friday and Saturday, the area near the bridge would be reinforced with rocks to help stabilise the riverbank and reduce further erosion.

A spokesperson for the authority said it had commissioned works to stabilise the riverbank urgently, before the supply chain and availability of materials became limited over the Christmas and new year period.

The authority said a riverbed survey found the cause of the problem was below the water level, where it appeared the river had been carving out a new, deeper channel on the riverbed.

Works were required as the water movement risked "undermining" the foundations of both the old bridge and the temporary footbridge, the council said, which posed "a real risk" to the stability of the whole structure.

It added the "complexity" of water movements needed to be assessed by specialists before any solution could be considered, and it would be working with the Environment Agency over the coming months to agree the best way forward.

"Unfortunately, this means that the bridge will be closed over the holiday period and beyond," the spokesperson said.

"This remains a live situation where decisions have been taken with the information we have.

"We fully appreciate the continuing impact this will have on residents, and especially businesses.

"However, following analysis of the data from the investigations on Tuesday, we know that public safety must come first and this is the right decision.

"The businesses at Darley Abbey Mills and Darley Abbey village remain open as usual, and can be accessed via Haslams Lane. We encourage customers to continue to support them."

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