Anger over Padworth area bridge works

At a meeting in Padworth on Monday, March 5, residents expressed their anger over not being informed of the work early enough and because other much needed work to the bridges would now not be carried out at the same time.
A number of bridges along the Great Western main line will need to be altered in preparation for electrification between London and Newbury. The work will provide the extra clearance needed for overhead wires to power trains.
Network Rail is carrying out the work in three locations during this phase: Sulhamstead Hill railway bridge (February 29 until July 11); Beenham Lockside Crescent and the A340 railway bridges (February 29 until July 5); and Frouds Lane (dates yet to be confirmed).
But some residents have claimed that this would also have been the perfect opportunity to widen the bridges for pedestrian access.
On Monday, March 5, however, Network Rail told more than 50 local residents at a meeting in Padworth Village Hall that not only was there no money available for the additional work, but that even if money was found from other sources, there was now no time to implement further changes.
Network Rail community relations adviser Richard Turner admitted that its communication strategy had failed: “We are very much aware that this has not been a success story regarding communication, but we are striving to improve that. In an ideal world, this would not be happening and I cannot emphasise enough how sorry we are that this is happening.”
Many residents were unappeased. West Berkshire Council executive member for Aldermaston, Irene Neill (Con) said: “I think this meeting is being held six months too late. If we held a meeting then, we could have informed Network Rail’s decisions and they might have been able to do some of the things that needed to be done.”
A member of Padworth Parish Council, Carla Kayser-Booth, said: “To replace the bridge with something that is almost like for like, when the area has changed so much, is ludicrous. “Further residential developments are taking place, and what is there at the moment is just not fit for purpose.”
It was also suggested that West Berkshire Council could pay for the widening work out of previous developer contributions (Section 106 money).
Speaking on behalf of West Berkshire Council, principal engineer Miles Roberts said: “We have written to the Department for Transport to ask if the additional work [to widen the bridges] can be carried out at the same time, but it looks as if it is now too late in the programme to do anything about it.”
At the meeting, residents also expressed their concern over the length of time taken to complete the work, with some pointing out that work on a much larger scale in Reading was carried out in just eight days, while here it will take several months.
Others were concerned about the design of the bridges, which they claimed would stand out in a conservation area.
Pictured is a mother with a buggy walking along the A340 footpath, where residents say the bridge is too narrow for pedestrian usage.