Pennington Point: "Let’s get on with it: I want to see the Alma Bridge happen."

There had been fears that the Sidmouth Beach Management Plan would hold up work on restoring Alma Bridge at the mouth of the river Sid...

The BMP steering group has been asking for historical information about the bridge:

There is now a renewed call for evidence from Sidmouth people to provide details of their personal knowledge of the beach and cliffs, especially around Pennington Point, the East beach, the fishermen's launching beach, Alma bridge and flooding across the Esplanade. However any information about aspects of the whole coast from the East beach to the West beach will be useful.

Do you have a story to tell, for example about the level of East beach compared with the Alma bridge steps, or of the distance from Alma bridge to high water mark on East Beach (the consultants currently claim the beach has not been moved back to the bridge by the erosion of the cliffs)? We need your best estimate of the date of your memory and estimates of distance and height. Perhaps you can relate it to the height of the railway tunnel or the western wall of the river Sid. Do you have photos?

Futures Forum: Sidmouth Beach Management Plan >>> "renewed call for evidence from Sidmouth people to provide details of their personal knowledge of the beach and cliffs"

In November last year, work was promised for Alma Bridge:

REPAIR work to erosion at the base of cliffs at Sidmouth caused by the recent storms, is set to take place within a fortnight. County engineers inspected the “hole” at the base of cliffs near the Alma Bridge and permission has been obtained from the Environment Agency and East Devon District Council for work to proceed. A team will begin work as soon as it is available and the expectation is that work will be completed by Christmas. Work will include filling the hole with concrete doweled to the rock with the masonry matching the adjacent Alma bridge stonework.

Cllr Stuart Hughes Cabinet member who's remit covers Bridges and Flood Protection explained that some residents of Cliff Road, on top of the cliffs, had expressed concerns about the impact the recent bout of erosion could have. “This is great news for the residents of Sidmouth and especially those who live on the east of the Sid who contacted me about enhanced erosion in the vicinity of Alma bridge and beneath the Hanger footpath,” he added.

Repair work to erosion at base of Sidmouth cliffs to take place within a fortnight | Exeter Express and Echo
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Beach Management Plan: "the project is actively underway again"

Preliminary work started in January:
Protection work for Alma Bridge - News - Sidmouth Herald

Things seem to be moving ahead now after all:

Summer date for Alma Bridge work

12:45 11 March 2015

Harvey Gavin

Alma Bridge. Ref shs 8755-10-15SH. Picture: Simon Horn

Much-needed work to protect a vital link for residents living east of the River Sid could take place later this year.

Alma Bridge. Ref shs 8759-10-15SH. Picture: Simon Horn

There had been concern that any repair to Alma Bridge would not take place until Sidmouth’s beach management plan was adopted - which could take five or more years.

But updating town council colleagues this week, Councillor Stuart Hughes said he had given the go-ahead for temporary protection work ahead of a £300,000 project to replace the bridge next year. He said he was due to meet officials from the Environment Agency (EA) as well as district and county councils to draw up plans for a temporary rock armouring scheme to protect the bridge.

Cllr Hughes, Sidmouth’s county representative and Devon’s highways chief, said: “I have said to our bridge officers ‘let’s get on with it, I want to see the Alma Bridge happen’.

Designs for the new Alma Bridge

“Subject to overcoming quite a few hurdles, this work could be implemented during the summer/autumn this year. And the bridge works would then follow on next year, probably March to June 2016, although the EA may require June to September. The good news is, I have given the go- ahead, and now the officers [at the county council] are preparing to submit the bridge works over the forthcoming weeks.”

Walkers are currently able to reach the eastern bank of the Sid across the temporary link.

The new footway will include features taken from the original bridge, which are in storage in Newton Abbot.

Engineers undertook work to defend the bridge and secure the cliff on the east of the river in January this year.

Summer date for Alma Bridge work - News - Sidmouth Herald
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