Bridge funds plea to be made at Labour conference

""the long-standing financial pressures plus the high prevailing costs of borrowing may well mean a self-funded solution proves unviable""

""I will be in Liverpool at the Labour Conference from Sunday, making the case for fair funding for Redbridge and for national support to deliver the replacement of Broadmead Road Bridge. "I will keep fighting for the investment our residents deserve.""

""Broadmead Bridge isn't a luxury it's a vital lifeline for residents and local businesses. "It's taken the council two years to admit what we knew all along the bridge needs replacing and yet they've still secured no funding. "That's not just incompetence; it's a complete dereliction of duty.""

Broadmead Bridge in Woodford was closed to drivers in July 2023 after significant structural defects were identified. Redbridge Council faces an estimated £80m rebuild cost that it says it cannot afford, and officers warned that long-standing financial pressures and high borrowing costs may make a self-funded solution unviable. The town hall expects to go over budget this year by £43m as housing and social care demands rise. Council leader Kam Rai will press for national support and fair funding at the Labour conference to deliver the bridge replacement. Conservative councillors and residents have criticised delays and funding failures.

Read at www.bbc.com