It’s full steam ahead for Warblington footbridge project

Havant Borough Council has pledged to cover a funding shortfall to deliver a new footbridge over a railway crossing at Warblington Station.

The council has made it a top priority to provide a safe means for pedestrians to pass over the railway at Southleigh Road when the level crossing gates are closed.

After several years of delays, on Wednesday HBC’s Cabinet took matters into their own hands and put the money forward to get the plan rolling again.

At peak times the level crossing can be down for as much as 30 minutes in an hour, preventing traffic and pedestrians moving through the town.

Cllr Alex Rennie, HBC Leader, said: “Since taking over as Leader, I have made delivering this project one of my top priorities. While we still hope that partners will step forward with further funding, we are giving the project the green light by committing to the funding shortfall.

“The footbridge is desperately needed as the level crossing effectively cuts Warblington and Denvilles in two when it closed.

“Often pedestrians are stuck for some time and it can mean people are late for appointments, for school or even for the train they are hoping to catch.

“This leads to a temptation for people to slip between the gates and try to make their way across the tracks. That is extremely dangerous and the new footbridge will make Warblington and Denvilles a safer community.”

The footbridge is expected to cost upwards of £3.35 million. Around £2.7 million is available to pay for the project, including £2.1 million allocated from Havant Borough Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy. Now HBC has pledged to put forward the balance of the money if other funding sources cannot be found.

The council has commissioned Network Rail to draw up a detailed design of the bridge and will conduct a Diversity Impact Assessment to discover how a bridge may affect wheelchair users or people with other disabilities.