Work to replace the bridge over the lake in Kelsey Park will get underway later this year following the completion of the initial design phase and appointment of a contractor.
The confirmation that work will start, at a total cost of £567k, follows the successful completion of the de-silting work of the lakes. The initial phase of design work for the replacement bridge at Kelsey Park is now also complete. The latter part of this design work focused on finalising the technical details needed to safely reuse the existing bridge abutments, helping to minimise costs and keep the project within budget.
The additional design work has led to a slight delay in the original envisaged programme, but it has enabled the council to avoid the significant costs associated with constructing new abutments, without compromising the structural integrity of the bridge.
Land and Water, the contractor who successfully completed desilting work at Kelsey Park in March this year, has been appointed to both complete the detailed design and the bridge construction. On-site work is scheduled to begin in Autumn 2025, with the construction carefully planned and phased to ensure minimal disruption to park visitors.
A drop-in public engagement event will be held on Thursday 11 September, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Beckenham Public Hall, 4 Bromley Road, Beckenham BR3 5J. Residents are encouraged to attend the drop-in session where further information on the project will be provided, with the Kelsey Park bridge project team on hand to answer questions.
Councillor Will Rowlands, the Executive Councillor for Environment said, “We’re pleased to be moving into the next phase of the bridge replacement project at Kelsey Park, following the successful completion of the lake de-silting works earlier this year. By reusing the existing bridge abutments, we’ve been able to keep the project within budget while maintaining structural integrity. We’re excited to be working with Land and Water again and look forward to delivering a new bridge with minimal disruption to park visitors. We encourage residents to join us at the upcoming drop-in session to learn more and share their views.”
The council continues to work closely with the Environment Agency to secure the necessary Flood Risk Activity Permit. Once this permit is in place, the second phase of construction will commence.
It is currently anticipated that the works will be completed by February 2026, with park visitors and residents thanked for their ongoing support and patience as the council continues to move forward to renew the much-cherished bridge in Kelsey Park.
Residents and park visitors can sign up for news updates about bridge renewal work by sharing their contact details.
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