MIXED VIEWS ON SLIP BRIDGE PLANS

10 February 2005

New plans for Swansea's Slip Bridge will cost around £300,000, according to council bosses.

They say the decision not to return the bridge to its home spanning Oystermouth Road will not cost any extra money. Cash put aside by the former Labour administration will cover the cost of finding it a new home on the promenade.

The figure is more than a third more than the one originally quoted by council chiefs. But the decision has not met with support across the board.

Bernard Morris, of Derwen Fawr, has been campaigning for the return of the popular bridge.

He is disappointed that it will not be returning to its prominent position above one of Swansea's busiest road.

Mr Morris said: "I think the significance of the Slip Bridge was that it was there spanning the road as a familiar landmark distinctive to Swansea. To put it over what is probably going to be a smaller gap seems rather pointless."

The new plans for the bridge were unveiled at a presentation yesterday.

It came after a three-month consultation costing £35,000.

A questionnaire asking for people's views on three options was sent out to Swansea homes.

It quoted a bill of £690,000 to restore it with a further £250,000 in maintenance needed over 10 to 15 years. A replica bridge would have cost £350,000 to build and £75,000 in maintenance for a similar period. But no unanimous support for a single solution could be found.

So the council has decided to opt for a compromise.

Council leader Chris Holley said the council was now looking at a number of possible sites as a new home for the bridge on the promenade and it hoped to be submitting plans soon.

He said: "It is going to come within the £300,000 budget that was put aside by Labour."

But despite the bid to keep everyone happy, supporters of the bridge will not be too pleased that it is not going to be retaking its prominent position alongside the Swansea Bay.T

hey see the decision to place it along the promenade as a consolation prize. Mr Morris said: "If they do this it will retain the bridge as a feature, which people will relate to, but it is still not satisfactory."It's the third or fourth best result."