2,500 petition campaign for ‘vital’ new bridge

Richard Evans Local Democracy Reporter

Residents presented a petition with more than 2,500 signatures demanding a replacement for Llanerch Bridge.

Denbighshire County Council leaders admitted they are open to listening to plans for a new scheme, after the petition was delivered.

Llanerch Bridge collapsed into the River Clwyd in January 2021 when Storm Christoph caused widespread regional flooding.

But last year plans were scrapped for a replacement bridge, despite the council spending £1.5m of Welsh Government funds designing the new structure.

At the time, council officers warned cabinet members that drilling into the riverbed could contaminate a water supply to 85,000 homes, potentially making the authority liable for millions of pounds.

But speaking at today’s (Tuesday’s) full council meeting at the council’s Ruthin County Hall HQ, Deborah Albrow and Sue Holroyd, both of Tremeirchion, appealed to councillors.

This prompted Cllr Barry Mellor, the lead member for environment and transport, to admit that both he and the council leader would be open to listening to plans for a new scheme.

This came after it was revealed Cllr James Elson and Cllr Chris Evans had been talking to a local engineering company about finding a solution.

Ms Albrow explained they started the petition in August 2025, collecting 2,569 signatures supporting the replacement bridge.

“This petition is about rebuilding our bridge, Pont Llanerch, which spans the River Clwyd and connects the communities of Tremeirchion, Trefnant, Cwm, and Waen,” she told the chamber.

“In Tremeirchion, we have a community pub, a church, and a Welsh speaking primary school. We have to travel outside the village to get to a shop, the Post Office, English-speaking primary school, and Welsh place of worship.”

She added: “Now think about where you live. Try to imagine one of the main roads leading out of your village, town, or city is closed to your local community. You have to take a seven-mile detour, there and back, on other roads to get to your local amenities that you rely on every day.

“This would probably be seen as an inconvenience for perhaps up to a couple of weeks. But in the communities of Tremeirchion, Cwm, Waen, and Trefnant, this inconvenience has been happening for five years and three days. Yes, we count the years and the days. “

Ms Albrow went on to explain there were at least 11 farms affected on both sides of the river and that farmers have to take long detours to reach their livestock and move their heavy machinery.

She also explained how health and social care visits, such as community nurses, ambulances, and support agency staff, all take seven-mile detours each way “to care for vulnerable people”.

Ms Albrow also claimed school children and their families make daily detours around the A55.

She added: “The people of the local villages believe that the council should look at other alternatives for a new bridge, one that won’t affect the aquifer.

“There are many examples around the country where this has happened, the most recent being the Colne Valley Viaduct, a 2.1-mile infrastructure crossing a major aquifer supplying water for millions of people. “

Ms Holroyd added: “Councillors, are you aware that there are 30 bridges in Denbighshire which are built over the aquifer? What would happen if another of these bridges collapses? Will another vital road link be lost to other communities?

“People are angry, upset, confused, and can’t comprehend why, in the 21st century, with all our modern technology, a bridge that spans 14 meters cannot be replaced. “

The pair added that the Denbighshire corporate plan had committed to rebuilding Llanerch Bridge and said “the residents of Denbighshire are holding you to this pledge”.

The campaign has the support of MP Becky Gittens and Gareth Davies, Senedd member for the Vale of Clwyd, as well as councillors Chris Evans and James Elson.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Elson said residents were “frustrated” about DCC’s “inability to build the bridge”.

Cllr Elson said that “civil engineering was all about working with and overcoming challenges”.

He added that he and Cllr Evans were working with Ruthin-based engineers Jones Brothers on “a scheme that would allow residents to get back to normal life after five years”.

Cllr Elson said the council owed it to residents to find a solution.

Cabinet member Barry Mellor said he would take the petition away for consideration and provide a formal response.

But Cllr Mellor also explained that he’d met with both local councillors and the leader, Cllr Jason McLellan, to discuss the potential scheme, reaffirming a commitment to consider new plans once they were submitted.

Cllr Mellor added: “Cllr Evans and Cllr Elson also stated that they were working on an alternative proposal for a bridge that they believed would not present a risk to the aquifer.

“We agreed at the meeting that the council would consider that proposal once it has been submitted by Cllr Elson and Cllr Evans. I’m happy to reaffirm my commitment today and look forward to receiving the proposals from Cllr Elson and Cllr Evans.”