SLIP BRIDGE NON STARTER

13 April 2005

Even in the 1930s when the beach at the Slip was extremely busy, the Slip Bridge was a complete white elephant. The Mumbles train stopped on the beach side of the road. Access to the beach was via a gated level crossing. Invariably the gates were open to pedestrians, so it would have been madness to cross the road with families merely to use the bridge.Even if the gates were closed, they only needed to be closed to pedestrians for about five minutes. Who would want to take children, push-chairs and beach paraphernalia over the road, and up and down the steps, for the sake of waiting five minutes?The Slip Bridge must have been the biggest white elephant built by any Swansea council, and the whole lot should be demolished as quickly as the council demolished the adjacent public toilets.As for putting the metalwork on the promenade, this surely must be some sort of joke.It would do nothing for residents or visitors. I suppose some might think it was some kind of artwork, similar to the leaf in Castle Square.The abutments of the bridge are a blot on the landscape. The proposed commercial development as a cafe etc, surely would be economically available.Alternatively a new toilet block and shelter would be the most sensible idea with a bridge in the bay for children to dive off. An imminently sensible suggestion.

B WilliamsParc Wern RoadSkettySwansea