The Autumn meeting of the Wey & Arun Canal Trust was held at Alfold Hall on Saturday, 25th October 2008. After a short business meeting, presentations were made by Eric Walker on the B2133 road crossing project, Christopher Harrison on the "Bramley Link" and by Mike Anderson on the progress of the new 50-seater electric public trip boat "Wiggonholt" which is presently being built for the Trust.

The following is the Chairman's, Peter Foulger, statement on the present position of the bridge/tunnel works nearing completion in Loxwood.

"The majority of the Trust's effort and money has continued to go into the B2133 crossing project in Loxwood High Street. This was always going to be a big project and it has certainly lived up to expectations. All being well the construction work will finish by the end of this year, and be on target for a grand opening ceremony sometime next year.

However, I regret it is most unfortunate that after all the excellent work done by the Trust in and around Loxwood the appearance of the parapets on the bridge have caused a great deal of concern mainly to the residents of the village, and possibly others.

The B2133 is of course an important public highway and so a long series of negotiations with the West Sussex County Council (WSCC) Highways Department were necessary. On completion, the bridge is "adopted" by the County Council and maintenance becomes the Council's responsibility. The Council therefore has strict requirements for the design of the bridge and all its components.

The formal process for approving the proposed design is known as Agreement in Principle. In January 2007, WSCC Highways Department, after consulting their Rights of Way colleagues, told the Trust's project manager that their agreement depended on additional work to make the bridge crossing safer for horse riders. It was clear that WSCC regarded this benefit to horse riders as "mitigation" or "planning gain". The additional cost to the Trust was at least £10,000.

A consequence of the agreement to provide a safe route for horse riders was that higher railings on the bridge parapets became a legal requirement. To prevent a rider from falling over the edge of the bridge, 1.8-metre railings were required. With the benefit of hindsight, the Trust must admit to not realising the likely visual impact of railings of this height. The Trust should at least have informed the Parish and District Councils of the design change imposed by WSCC and could have considered a different design, although the height of the parapets is a legal requirement. However, the bridleway issue was just one of many complex design questions that were raised at the time; the Trust fully supports the actions of its project manager.

Now the bridge construction is complete, the Trust is completely aware of local views about the appearance of the bridge railings. Objectors must appreciate that WSCC have complete control over the bridge design and the Trust is legally unable to make any changes without WSCC's approval. So far WSCC Highways Department have indicated that they are unwilling to make any changes. The Trust is urgently seeking a meeting with WSCC's Cabinet Member for Transport to explore whether there is any room for flexibility. The Trust believes that this meeting has to happen before any meeting with Chichester District Council or Loxwood Parish Council.

Whatever the outcome, the appearance of the new bridge will quickly mature and blend into its surroundings. The Trust is committed to a programme of planting around the bridge on both sides of the canal. The Trust actively wishes to be a good neighbour and is grateful to the people of Loxwood who have suffered severe disruption to their daily lives during the past year. We admit to making mistakes and we want to put them right. We are volunteers who have to grapple with a bewildering tangle of authorities and regulations. We hope that we can reach an amicable solution that goes toward satisfying all parties. We do believe that the long-term benefits of the Trust's activities will greatly outweigh any short-term pain."

Further information can be obtained from the Wey and Arun Trust's Public Relations Officer: Sally Schupke (01483 560543): e-mail: pr@weyandarun.co.uk.

For general information on the work of the Wey and Arun Canal Trust, please telephone the Trust office on 01403 752403.