Kelsey Park replacement footbridge

The Kelsey Park Bridge Project focuses solely on the replacement of the footbridge located at the south end of the park, near to the Stone Avenue Entrance, which provides access through the park and a more direct route to park amenities. This decision was made by the council's Executive in November 2022, following the completion of a detailed option appraisal. Unfortunately, there are currently no proposals to replace the second bridge located at the north end of the large lake.

The November 2022 Committee Report approves the replacement of Bridge B. Kelsey Park Replacement Bridges Committee Report 2022 (PDF - 1,847KB).

The total estimated cost to deliver this project is £567k. This includes the construction of the bridge and works that are likely to be needed to the abutments and embankment substrates, as well as design and survey work. The cost estimate includes a high level of contingency to allow for the potential impacts of the additional survey work, inflation and other uncertain market conditions.

The council recognises that there have been some delays to the original works programme, that was agreed in November 2022. These delays are predominantly as a result of an unsuccessful tender process, which concluded in January 2024, where unfortunately no tenders were received. Officers subsequently undertook further soft-market engagement to ascertain how to make the project more appealing to potential contractors, and amended the tender process based on feedback received.

The project has been split into two phases, with the first phase focusing on the detailed design of the bridge and associated arboricultural and survey work. The initial phase of design work for the replacement bridge at Kelsey Park is now complete. The latter part of this design work focused on finalising the technical details needed to safely reuse the existing bridge abutments, helping to 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.

We are now moving into the next phase of the project. Land and Water, the contractor who successfully delivered desilting works at Kelsey Park that completed in March this year, has been appointed to both carry out the permanent works design, which will then be followed by the bridge construction. On-site works are scheduled to begin in Autumn 2025, with the construction phased to ensure minimal disruption to park visitors.

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 early-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.

The park will be accessed via the Wickham Road entrance to accommodate the location of the site compound and welfare facilities.

There will be minimal impact to park users whilst the works are underway, however, further detail will be available once the construction phase management plan has been agreed later this year. Stakeholders and residents will be updated accordingly. Any potential environmental impacts will be managed in accordance with the outcome of the Environmental Management Plan.

It is anticipated that the new structure will be of similar construction to the existing bridge, however, slight amendments will be required to widen the bridge to make it more accessible.