matlock footbridge campaign
Background
The pedestrian footbridge at Matlock Station was built overnight one night in mid-July 2007. Local residents had been informed that the work would be carried out at night, and were curious in the morning to view the structure that had been erected. Many people were shocked at what they saw. People had not known what to expect, but believed that some thought would have gone into the design of the footbridge, located as it is in such a pretty and characterful part of the town in the very heart of the Matlock Bridge Conservation Area. No-one had expected the gigantic proportions of the footbridge, which dwarfs its surroundings with a mass of black metal looming over the existing buildings.
Local Protests
A few people protested straight away to the District Council, and to the local paper, the Matlock Mercury. Both the Mercury and the Derbyshire Times covered the story on 19th July 2007, and since then, there has been a steady flow of letters to the local paper, remarking on the ugliness and inappropriate scale of the bridge.
The issue has also been taken up by the Matlock Civic Association (MCA), a group dedicated to protecting and enhancing Matlock's heritage, and the Friends of the Derwent Valley Line (FDVL), a group aiming to promote the usage and enhancement of the Derwent Valley rail line from Derby to Matlock. Both groups have objected strongly to the council and Sainsbury's about the stucture and have put forward sensible and viable alternatives. Unfortunately, to date none of these have been given any consideration by any of the parties involved in approving and building the bridge, Derbyshire Dales District Council, Derbyshire County Council, and Sainsbury's Stores. The MCA has developed three detailed options for the replacement or adaptation of the footbridge, including a level crossing across the railway from the public car park. This is now thought to be a more viable option than previously, as the Matlock line's new status as a Community Railway allows different standards to be considered than were at the time that pedestrian access to the store was being developed.
The Matlock Civic Association's proposals, along with photographs and sketch diagrams, have now been posted on the FDVL website at www.fdvl.org.uk.
So how did the current footbridge come about?
The Matlock footbridge was conceived as part of the planning process for the development of the Cawdor Quarry site. For many years, the District Council had been trying to bring about the development of the derelict quarry, including the creation of an alternative route for the A6 road, to take heavy traffic out of the town centre. In the late 1990's, a plan for the quarry was developed, which would put in place a major supermarket, a relief road, a large housing development and a new bus station for the town. One detail of the discussions about the plan centred on the need to provide pedestrian access from the town centre across the railway line to the new supermarket. It was a requirement of supermarket developments that town centre pedestrian access, including disabled access, should be incorporated.
It is unclear exactly how the decision was made to locate the pedestrian railway crossing in its current position. It appears that another option, namely a crossing directly from the new public car park to the store, across a part of the railway not currently used by trains, was rejected on cost grounds. It was also felt that it was too far away from the town centre, and would discourage people from going to the store on foot or in wheelchairs. Hence it was decided to locate the new bridge where it is now, in the railway station approach. Many people may think that this means the purpose of the footbridge is to provide disabled access to the station platforms - not so; it's sole purpose is to get people across the line to the footpath down to Sainsbury's store.
The design of the footbridge was approved by the District Council in 2002. It is still not clear what exact procedures were followed in considering and approving the design, but it is surprising how few people in the town were aware of what this monstrosity was actually going to look like. The Matlock Civic Association, town councillors and even councillors on the District Council, all of whom could be expected to have known what the final design would look like, seem to have been taken aback by the size and ugliness of the bridge. Perhaps it looked much better on paper, or perhaps because it was a relatively minor aspect of a very major development, nobody really took much notice!
The explanation given by Derbyshire Dales District Council for the size and design of the footbridge is the need to conform to disabled access requirements. These mean that the footway has to be at least three metres wide, the gradient of the ramp should ideally be 1 in 20, with 1 in 12 an absolute maximum and platforms should be provided at regular intervals to enable a person in a wheelchair to rest. There are also requirements from Network Rail about boxing in the part of the bridge which goes over the railway.
The Matlock Bridge Conservation Area
What is not explained is why, when the implications of these requirements were revealed, the council failed to realise that the station forecourt could not accommodate the massive structure which would result. They also seem to have failed to consult anyone with an interest in conservation or railway heritage, even though the station area is in the heart of the Matlock Bridge Conservation Area. Derbyshire Dales District Council's own leaflet about the Conservation Area states: 'A Conservation Area is an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. It is the combination of the buildings and spaces which provide that special interest.'
Instead of going back to the drawing board and re-thinking the whole question of pedestrian access, both the county and district councils just went ahead and approved the design, and Sainsbury's just went ahead and built it. The residents of Matlock, presumably, are just expected to put up with it.
An increasing number of residents feel that they simply do not want to put up with something that has blighted the town and will continue to do so for years to come. Hence the Matlock Footbridge Campaign's petition.