Replacement bridge plans stall for third year running after funding blow

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans for a replacement bridge are in limbo once again after funding applications for the next stage of the project were unsuccessful.

Newport City Council said it cannot afford to foot the bill for the new bridge in Bassaleg alone, and had seen its bids for regional or national support knocked back for a third year in a row.

Vehicle access to Forge Mews has been restricted for five years, after inspectors closed the bridge over safety concerns.

The council said it could “understand that the residents of Forge Mews are frustrated the bridge remains closed”, and is “doing everything we can” to move the project forward.

There had been some signs of progress on the replacement bridge project, with the council using £1 million from the Welsh Government last year for design and survey work.

But a recent scrutiny committee report showed grant applications – which would have enabled the project to proceed to tender – had failed.

“Previous applications to the Welsh Government’s local transport fund and resilient roads fund in 2024 and 2025, and the South East Wales CJC’s regional transport programme in 2026, have been unsuccessful,” a council spokesperson said.

“We have worked hard to ensure that the plans for Bassaleg Bridge remain on the regional transport programme’s reserve list and may be considered for future funding, should further opportunities arise.”

The CJC is a partnership between Cardiff and nine nearby local authorities, and its responsibilities include funding regional transport projects in a more integrated way – taking into account factors like economic growth and social equality.

The spokesperson noted Newport City Council had already funded work on the replacement bridge project, including stabilising the structure and carrying out surveys and an options appraisal.

In addition, the council’s leader – Cllr Dimitri Batrouni – and cabinet member for infrastructure Cllr Rhian Howells had visited the local community council “several times” and spoken with Forge Mews residents.

“However, the costs of constructing a new bridge are far greater than the resources available to us,” the spokesperson said. “We understand that the residents of Forge Mews are frustrated that the bridge remains closed.

“We are doing everything we can with the resources available to us to resolve this and find the funding that will allow us to move to the next phase of the project.”

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