Urgent action planned as Derby’s Mills Bridge nears collapse
Derby City Council has taken control of the “extremely vulnerable” bridge and secured £2m to demolish it
A bridge in Derby is on the brink of total collapse and a permanent replacement could cost around £25 million.
Derby City Council leaders have agreed to take ownership of the “extremely vulnerable” Mills Bridge in Darley Abbey so they can fully control future works.
Councillors have also approved receiving a £2 million grant to demolish the 1930s structure as a matter of urgency.
The bridge connects the community with businesses at Darley Abbey Mills and its surrounding area.
Concerns about the bridge were reported to the city council in 2022, and after inspections, it was closed on safety grounds.
But due to the bridge’s importance to the community and nearby businesses, an interim footbridge was installed at the same location, named Walter’s Walkway.
That structure was then temporarily closed in December over safety concerns related to the old bridge.
This has caused deepening concern among nearby business owners, who claim their livelihoods are at stake if the bridge isn’t reinstated soon.
Derby City Council leaders say they are working to get the temporary bridge back in place and build a permanent replacement in the long term.
But a report says reinstating it may not be possible until February 2027.
The situation has proved more complex, given that the historic bridge belongs to the Crown Estate, not the council.
Leaders have said they have been stuck in a “catch-22” situation due to its ownership status, but are now hoping the transfer of power will allow them to exercise full control over what lies ahead.
As well as approving the change in ownership status, a cabinet meeting on Wednesday (April 8) saw the council’s Labour cabinet approve £2 million funding from the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) to help demolish the original bridge.
The council says that, given the state of the old bridge, it is not possible to reopen Walter’s Walkway.
Councillor Carmel Swan, cabinet member for sustainability, said the Mills Bridge was close to total collapse.
She said at the meeting: “I hope we will be able to build a bridge that will be there for many, many generations to come.
“To be able to reinstate Walter’s Walkway, we need to demolish the Mills Bridge. To do this in a timely way, we need to do it this summer.
“The condition of the Mills Bridge has been declining. If we don’t intervene, it is unlikely to withstand another winter.”
A report states a permanent replacement could cost in the region of £25 million.
The council says it is working on a business case which “will support” its request to the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) for funding”.
Council leader Nadine Peatfield said the council taking ownership of the bridge was “great news”.
She said: “It’s a bold but necessary step forward to take ownership of the bridge. We were finding ourselves in a catch-22 situation where nobody was taking responsibility for it.”