Marlow bridge to be illuminated

A bid to illuminate Marlow Bridge has been approved after a government planning inspector overturned an earlier refusal.

The plans, submitted by Marlow Town Council, aim to enhance the appearance of the Grade I listed suspension bridge by installing strip lighting along the deck. The lights would face upwards to illuminate the suspension chains and key structural elements.

Because the bridge spans both Buckinghamshire and Berkshire the application was considered by both Buckinghamshire Council and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.

Both authorities had refused permission, citing concerns about the impact of artificial lighting on protected bat species that forage along the River Thames.

However, a government planning inspector has now allowed the appeal, concluding that the lighting would not cause ecological harm.

In a decision issued following a site visit, inspector A Tucker said there would be “no significant harm to the long-term conservation status of the bat species that are present”.

The inspector said: “The proposal would therefore not result in the direct spill of light onto the river surface or below the level of the bridge. Indeed, the underside of the bridge would remain dark.

“The local environment is already subject to a significant level of illumination, and such illumination is already present in the form of reflective light on the water surface.”

In reaching that conclusion, the inspector rejected the councils’ view that further surveys were necessary.

The decision noted that ecological assessments had found the bridge itself did not provide suitable roosting habitat for bats, with gaps between boards exposed to the elements and the towers lacking appropriate features.

While bat activity was recorded along the river, the inspector said the proposed lighting would not illuminate the water surface directly.

Any reflected light, the decision said, would need to be considered in the context of an already developed riverside environment, including illuminated buildings and the externally lit Church of All Saints.

The appeal was granted subject to conditions, including a requirement that some existing lighting on the bridge be disconnected before the new scheme is brought into use.

Heritage impacts were also considered as part of the appeal. The inspector concluded that the proposal would preserve the character and appearance of the Grade I listed structure and the surrounding conservation areas, noting that heritage bodies and council conservation officers had raised no objections.

In planning documents submitted by agent Boddingtons Planning, the case was made for lighting the bridge.

It said: “The purpose of lighting is to illuminate where there currently is none.

“Extending the lit hours to allow sight of the listed bridge can only be considered to be a good thing if expressed in hours of visibility to appreciate the quality of the bridge.

“All the lights are directed upwards and not sideways or downwards by virtue of their design and fitting. The effect on the darkness of the river will not be increased over that existing.”

Marlow Bridge was built between 1829 and 1832 and is a Grade I listed structure designed by William Tierney Clark.