Possible Ramps for Lucy’s Mill Bridge

First shown to Residents at our Open Afternoon
Saturday 2nd December – in the Town Hall

Over the past two months, the Friends of Lucy’s Mill Bridge have completed 29 hours of physical surveying of people using the bridge (actually counting as people arrive and come off the bridge rather than interviewing bridge users).

We’ve also had paper surveys available in three of Stratford’s Public Buildings, alongside an online survey (of the same questions as the paper versions) that has been widely publicised, especially through the help of the Stratford Herald, the Stratford on Avon Facebook Forum and the ‘SUAhour’ Twitter group.

Lots of information and videos about this work was on display at the Town Hall, but pride of place was the results of several months work by Hawkes Edwards and the Avon Navigation Trust. The Herald had a preview of the architects drawings but people attending the exhibition were able to see a three dimensional video – a flyover of what the ramps would look like when in place and from the perspective of someone walking along the riverbank then over the bridge.

Flyover Presentation – If you would like to see the Flyover Presentation please CLICK HERE.

Hawkes Edwards are one of Stratford’s premier architects and are Historic Building Consultants. Our thanks go especially to Trevor Edwards and one of his team John Quinn. The bridge was surveyed through the Avon Navigation Trust, the group who manage all the waterways in and around our town. To look closely at accessibility, a mock of the proposed ramps was laid out in a car park (thanks very much to Stratford District Council) and representatives of Accessibility Groups invited to test out the proposed layout.

This design would only use publicly owned land. None of the new specimen trees on the south side of the river would need to be removed. In fact they would create a boulevard for the ramp on the south side. The advice of the Avon Navigation Trust (and their support) was invaluable in showing the best ramp route possible and we would very much like to thank Roger Clay, Mike Sheard and Jeff Holt for all their involvement and advice. It was also through the Trust that we do have a professional estimate of the project costs, work done by John Redmond of Faithful+Gould. Thanks very much John for all your work.

The Friends would very much like to hear what you think – please email Designs@lucysmillbridge.co.uk . A link to this feature has been posted on the Stratford Facebook Forum so you could respond there but if you would like to reply privately, please do email us as soon as you want to (same email link). Please do say what you feel, whether you like this option or you would rather see something else – a replacement bridge or a new bridge further downstream.

You can also take a look at all the other presentations from the Open Afternoon –

1) This is a summary of the physical surveying – at least four hours of each day of the week

Presentation – Bridge counts and more

The peak numbers crossing the bridge were in excess of 300 residents and visitors over an hour and the minimum numbers (per hour) we observed were around 60 bridge crossings.

We classified people by age and then whether they had a dog, a bike, pushchairs etc and how easy it was for them to climb the steps. All of this information is in an Excel spreadsheet and we will make this available to anyone interested (not just sending it to Warwickshire County Council). If you are good with Pivot Tables, or would just like to see these results, please do email us and we will send them to you. We’d really appreciate seeing your own analysis.

All these survey results will combine with the spreadsheet model we’ve made of the different areas of Stratford, and how individuals and families could use the bridge. This model will be available for you to look at in January.

2) This is a presentation of some of the feedback from the online and paper surveys that residents and visitors have completed

It’s lots of quotes of what people said about their use of the bridge, and the other options – both positive and negative.

We will analyse the full results and present them in January and put all this evidence into the pack we will give to all the statutory authorities who would be involved in making a decision about the bridge, and the viable option of the ramps above.
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3) This is a video of all the entries in the ‘Lucy’s Lifts’ competition – the fun design competition for 12s and unders to be architects and designers for a day.

Link to Lucy’s Lifts video on YouTube.

There are some small prizes and winners will be announced on Friday 8th December with a number being presented at Bishopton School that afternoon – Congratulations to those young people who have won a prize and our thanks to everyone who entered. There was lots of creativity and fun!

4) Finally, this is a video of many of the ‘Paws’ who cross the bridge each day. As you will have seen from the physical surveying, we counted nearly 600 ‘dog crossings’ (we saw some dogs more than once). If your ‘Best Friend’ isn’t on this montage, please do take a picture and send it to paws@lucysmillbridge.co.uk so that when we produce our final video, they will be there!

Link to 1000 Paws video on YouTube.

That is it for 2017. We are only a very small team who could not have done any of the above without the support of professional people and groups who, like us, would love to see Lucy’s Mill Bridge be a bridge everyone can use.

The option of these ramps is viable. There is work going on at the site of the new marina that will bring more people to our town, people who would find Lucy’s Mill Bridge a far more convenient way into our lovely town than using the riverbank walk.

But, and all our surveying shows this, there are hundreds – actually thousands – who already do use this bridge, some with great difficulty, and because the bridge hasn’t been ‘for everyone’ for many many years, there are going to be hundreds (at the least) who just don’t go down to Stratford’s third footbridge, because they know they cannot use it.

This number could well be over a thousand; if you look at the 25,000 or so people who live in our Town and then break that down into young families with pushchairs, into those who have retired but find steps difficult, and especially anyone who uses a mobility scooter or a wheelchair – people who simply cannot use the bridge.

Have a wonderful time over Christmas and the New Year. We thank you for all your support and please do share this page with friends who may be interested.

Bridges as tourist attractions

If you go to London, you’ll know many of the bridges by name. Some will be on a ‘to-be-photographed-on’ list. Across the whole of the UK, many towns like Stratford have old bridges that are still in (ever busier) use that are pictured in tourist and generic PR for that town. We have two such bridges – Clopton Bridge with its refurbished Toll House and the old mill next door to it – and the Tramway Bridge which once was a key piece of infrastructure for residents and businesses in times gone by.

Lucy’s Mill Bridge was just such a key bridge and if you’ve looked at the history (Link – Actions To Date) you’ll have seen that it has had several incarnations, including once being made of wood.

The Friends of Lucy’s Mill Bridge want to give the bridge a future where its used by everyone.

There are three options:

1) That the present bridge is modified – modifications which retain or offer as much of the style and design of the present build. There are Art Deco influences. The bridge was made of concrete – which for when it was built was quite innovative.
2) A new bridge is built close to the site of the present bridge
3) A new bridge is built which replaces the present structure

Elsewhere on this site you”ll be able to find info about how cost comes into each option – the minimum spend to have a structure which will last for a considerable time and has low maintenance costs then of course that if more design work is put into any of the above options, or special materials used, that the visual impact of the bridge will increase so people will want to go and see it – really to be impressed.

However, just the actual story of giving the bridge a proper future (and being accessible by everyone is just that – a ‘proper’ future) – this will make the bridge a tourist attraction, a town asset.

If somehow a new bridge was built with lots of respectful innovation, yes that would be notable and can be used year on year to say and show how our Town is a wonderful place – but if the solution is simply the most cost effective and simple renovations, that is a story that is worth telling and should continue to be told.

Do though think about how Lucy’s Mill Bridge is part of your everyday life – whether you use it regularly or just once in a while. Yes that it becomes a town asset is important, but that is helps all our residents and visitors enjoy and have practical access to all of the town – this is the key issue!

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