Dŵr Cymru dashes hopes of a new bridge across the River Tawe

Richard Youle, local democracy reporter

Dŵr Cymru has refused to repair or replace a bridge across the River Tawe because it would be too expensive and that it had never been a right of way.

A Swansea Valley councillor has asked for help in persuading them to fix the the bridge which the local rugby club used to access their pitches.

The bridge in Clydach carries a sewer across the River Tawe and has been closed off for safety reasons for more than five years. Vardre RFC players and supporters used to use it as a shortcut from their High Street clubhouse and changing rooms to pitches across the river.

Natural Resources Wales

The future of the bridge, and the sewer it supports, have been the subject of debate and Clydach councillor Matthew Bailey has now written to his MP Carolyn Harris, former minister for climate change Julie James, and environment body Natural Resources Wales for support.

Cllr Bailey’s letter said the lengthy diversion for Vardre RFC supporters since the bridge was closed had lowered matchday attendances and deterred visiting teams from going to the clubhouse after games, affecting its revenue.

He felt Welsh Water had a responsibility to keep the bridge open and claimed wooden supports holding up the sewer pipe had started to rot. His letter said: “[Welsh Water] state they have had surveys completed and the bridge is beyond repair”. It suggested Welsh Water ought to accept some responsibility for the bridge’s decline and that it had a “moral obligation” to repair or replace it.

Alternate route

The letter went on: “We asked for assistance from Welsh Water to create an alternate route with lighting, hand rails and concrete surfacing. We have asked for help with a minibus to ferry older people closer to the pitch. We have asked for a water supply to the pitch. We have also asked for a plan should the electricity supply to the pitch be cut off if the bridge collapses, severing the electrical cable it carries across.”

The letter claimed Welsh Water had offered £10,000, which “wouldn’t even pay for lighting to light an alternate route let alone anything else”.

Two years ago Welsh Water said it would get an estimate for a replacement bridge and allow a structural engineer commissioned by the rugby club to assess the existing structure, the bottom of which can be affected by flowing river water after particularly heavy rainfall. Speaking at the time Vardre RFC secretary Malcolm Thomas felt this was a positive development and that the club would be happy if a new footbridge could be built close by should a replacement bridge be too expensive.

Additional costs

Asked to respond to Cllr Bailey’s letter a Welsh Water spokesman said: “This has never been a public right of way and replacing it with a footbridge would incur a significant additional cost to our customers. We understand and empathise with Vardre RFC’s position and the wider community’s interest in the bridge. We have communicated our position clearly with the club and the community.

“As a not-for-profit company we have to carefully manage customers’ money while pushing to reduce our impact on the environment. The pipework is currently stable and we have plans to replace it with a new sewer that would run under the river.”

Rugby club secretary Mr Thomas said it had been made aware of Welsh Water’s position on the bridge which, given the club’s reduced income, led to the club’s request for a contribution towards or purchase of a second-hand minibus to take older supporters to the pitches or a new water supply to the pitches to enable toilets to be built.

Mr Thomas said it took 20 to 25 minutes to walk from the clubhouse to the pitches, at least double what it used to when the bridge was open, and added there was a steep section. He said Welsh Water had offered £10,000 but had discounted the water supply request because there wasn’t a pipe nearby it could tap into.

Mr Thomas said the club, which runs several mini and junior teams, three women’s teams, two men’s teams, and an older men’s team, is hoping Welsh Water will increase its offer.

“We told them how much we were losing in terms of supporters,” said Mr Thomas. “The club has lost quite a substantial amount.”