WELLINGTON Town Council could be looking at having to shell out a whopping £200,000 on replacing a dangerous bridge – even though it does not own it.

Councillors are facing a real quandary on whether they should look at taking on the project or turn their back on it. It is a question of legal obligation or moral duty.

The bridge at the bottom of Linden Drive covers the culvert leading from The Basins to the weir – which has previously been deemed unsafe and saw the footpath closed that runs across it. However, it is still in use and vehicles use it on a daily basis to access Linden House.

But a new survey has shown that the bridge is in a “failed condition” and reached the end of its “serviceable life” albeit not at risk of imminent collapse.

It has been recommended that the bridge should be demolished and replaced with a new bridge costing around £100,000. 

The matter was discussed at the town council’s monthly meeting on October 7 where councillors had mixed views on the subject.

Cllr Mike McGuffie said: “They (the experts who carried out the survey) don’t know how long the bridge will be able to carry on being used. I think the estimate of £100,000 doesn’t include removing what’s already there – so we might be looking at around £200,000.

“It’s just sitting there like a rotten tooth – we need to take on the Crown Estate land.”

The council has agreed to buy land currently owned by the Crown Estate for around £10,000 – which includes the Linden Drive bridge – but so far has yet to sign on the dotted line.

But Cllr Justin Cole said: “It would be crazy to take on a liability of between £100,000 and £200,000. 

“I don’t think it is right for the taxpayers of Wellington to take on something that they don’t have to take on. It feels as if we are being pushed into a corner on this.”

And Cllr Ross Henley said: “I’m struggling to see why we would take this on knowing that there could be a possible £100,000 liability coming our way in the next decade.

“I can think of lots of things I’d rather be spending that sort of money on in Wellington rather than a bridge.”

Around five years ago the council went ahead with installing safety fencing either side of the causeway by the two large historic ponds at The Basins.

Councillors mulled over whether to do the work as it was Crown Estate land and therefore not their responsibility, despite the obvious safety concerns about people falling into the water.

But they finally decided to do the work when they were told that although the Crown Estate would not give the council official permission to carry out the fencing project, it would not necessarily take any action against the authority if it did.

It would seem that nothing has really changed in Crown Estate’s stance on the situation with regard the bridge at Linden Drive.