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UPDATE OF 16 April 2026:
Waterside Bridge to be opened on Tuesday 2 June!
The long-awaited Waterside Foot-Cycle Bridge across the Trent on the east side of Nottingham which is to be officially opened at 12 noon on Tuesday 2 June 2026, and this will be followed by a celebration Family Fun Day on Sunday 14 June.
The new Bridge has been built for Nottingham City Council by Balfour Beattie, financed by the DfT’s Transforming Cities Fund. It links the Colwick and new Trent Basin major housing area north of the river with the Lady Bay area of West Bridgford in Rushcliffe Borough on the south bank.
The opening will be the culmination of almost 12 years of campaigning by several local groups, including Pedals (Nottingham Cycling Campaign), Blueprint Regeneration, the Nottingham Civic Society, Nottingham Local Access Forum and the Riverside Crescent Residents Association, with the support of Sustrans (now the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust) and 20 other local Active Travel / Environmental / Transport Groups from both sides of the river.
The bridge opening is being combined with some improved nearby approach routes on both sides of the Trent, and we are keen to see more and more of these, including extended and upgraded riverside paths, and access routes, implemented in the next few years, to help make the most of the great potential for this very exciting major new link to open up new utility and leisure routes, linear and circular, for walkers, cyclists, wheelers and runners, etc.
More information is at https://www.transportnottingham.com/project/pedestrian-and-cycle-bridge/
Hugh McClintock,
Pedals (Nottingham Cycling Campaign) and Chair of the Foot-Cycle Bridge Campaign Steering Group.
UPDATE OF 17.11.25:
Successful Bridge Lift completed on 10 November!
Update: October 2025
Countdown to the exciting Waterside Bridge Lift in mid-November!
Nottingham City Council and the Waterside Foot-Cycle Bridge contractors, lead by Balfour Beattie, have now confirmed the dates for the lift of the 87-metre new bridge into place across the Trent from the main construction site west of Trent Basin. It is the week of 10-16 November, which, it is very much hoped, will allow enough flexibility in getting just the right weather conditions for the next stage with this major and exciting landmark, whose progress many people have followed very closely and eagerly.
This includes many people in Hucknall, where the bridge was first assembled late this Spring by Briton’s Fabricators, helping to create several local jobs as well as, temporarily to have a major new landmark in their area!
CGI image of the planned Bridge Lift operation from the main construction site at Trent Basin into its position across the Trent west of The Hook, Lady Bay. This will involve the largest carne in Europe, to help reduce the risk of the operation being delayed by high winds and should take place between 10-16 November. Photo: Nottingham City Council
To carry out this operation, which will also involve closing the nearby section of the Trent, apparently the largest crane in Europe will be used, with a height of 75 metres, i.e. about three times the height of the tallest part of the bridge itself! The crane itself will arrive at the site in sections during the two weeks before the crucial week. Using such a large crane increases the chances of the lift not being delayed by high winds.
Lots of people are, we know, very much looking forward to this landmark event, and would like to come and watch the proceedings if they can rely on the weather and the timing! This will be possible, but it should be emphasised that the only safe viewing point nearby will be on the opposite side of Trent Basin, i.e. the west side of the existing Trent Basin housing. It will of course also be very important for anyone coming along to respect the privacy of local residents.
View from the new bridge at its current construction site at Trent Basin showing the area on the west side of the Trent Basin housing development which will be the nearest accessible safe viewing area for the Bridge lift in November
The idea of having a safe viewing point on the south bank is unfortunately not feasible because of the need to protect the security of the secondary construction site, near The Hook, Lady Bay. This includes the section of the riverside path between The Hook and Lady Bay bridge which has been closed since the start of construction work in March and will remain closed until the bridge opens, late next Spring. This closure period will also allow time for this very popular section of riverside path to be upgraded and made more durable, in combination with other improved access links in the Lady Bay / West Bridgford area.
The half-assembled bridge at the main construction site at Trent Basin: photos taken during the Press and Partners Briefing on 1 October
On the north bank the City Council has already improved several links, especially between Trent Lane and Colwick Park, combined with a lot of recent effort to upgrade the paths within that park to all-weather surfaces
To the west of the north bank landing, plans for permanent improved connections between the new bridge and the City Centre (via Daleside Road, Manvers Street and the Island Quarter etc.) have to be integrated with further phases of the Trent Basin housing development so will take time to finalise and implement.
However, in the short term there will be some improved links via Poulton Drive and Daleside Road. The north bank riverside path will in due course be extended west to connect with the existing riverside path and canal towpath at the Meadow Lane Lock, as well as on under Trent Bridge to Victoria Embankment, etc., adding to the extent and value of “The Big Track” and making it easier and much more pleasant for walkers, cyclists, runners and people in wheelchairs and pushchairs to enjoy in safety more of the great riverside environment, including making circular trips via the other traffic-free bridges, such as the Suspension Bridge and the tramside path on Wilford Bridge, etc.
In the medium and longer-term there is good potential for extending and improving these links further, east of Colwick Park into Gedling Borough, towards Stoke Bardolph and Gunthorpe etc, as well as on the south bank in the Holme Pierrepont area, linking to new housing and employment developments nearby and further back from the river, as well as the many major leisure sites and attractions north and south of the Trent.
It will therefore be very important to keep up the momentum for these further schemes to maximise the great potential of the new bridge in the years to come after its completion next May / June. The Environment Agency are committed to this in principle, as part of their River Trent Master Plan, and depending on finance and negotiations with landowners and other interested parties.
Shots from the BBC East Midlands Today feature on the Waterside Bridge, including an interview with Councillor Linda Woodings, on East Midlands Today on 1 October.
There has been much very good local media coverage for this exciting project, including a BBC East Midlands Today feature on 1 October following the Press and Partners Briefing that morning, so that should hopefully encourage this wider interest and support as well as making people greatly look forward to the bridge completion and the arrival of this major new landmark for Nottingham.
Many thanks to all those organisations and individual people who have supported us in this long campaign. This started with a meeting hosted by Nick Ebbs, former CEO of Blueprint Regeneration, in their offices in the Lace Market back in August 2014! Pedals and the Nottingham Civic Society, along with Blueprint, the Nottingham Local Access Forum, the Riverside Crescent Residents’ Association, and the Trent Basin Residents’ Association have all along been the key players, with the also very welcome vital support in principle of 20 other local groups.
Hugh McClintock
Chair, Trent-Basin to Lady Bay Foot-Cycle Bridge Campaign Steering Group
- For further updates on the Waterside Bridge visit the Transport Nottingham website: Waterside Bridge: Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge – Transport Nottingham
We are now over half way through the completion of this exciting project and a lot of people came along to see the great spectacle of the “Bridge Lift” when the tallest crane in Europe lifted the bridge into place across the Trent from the main construction site on the west side of Trent Basin. Balfour Beattie are the main contractors for Nottingham City Council, due for completion in late Spring 2026.
Time-lapse short video of the Bridge Lift (Nottm City Council & Balfour Beattie):-
Nottingham’s brand new walking and cycling bridge lifted into place – time-lapse
Next steps after the Bridge Lift
There now a great deal more work to be done. This includes building the connecting bridge on the north bank across the mouth of Trent Basin, and the nearby piazza, as well as the connecting ramps on both sides of the river, and associated landscaping etc. We also gather that every single joint on the new bridges and ramp have to have a further coat of special weather and rust protection paint, a job that, we can well imagine, could easily be delayed by spells of very wet, windy and stormy weather.
Connections on both banks of the Trent, short and longer term
Then of course there is the work on further improved connecting links (temporary, if not yet permanent on the north side, because of the need to tie in with further phases of the Trent Basin housing development.
The south bank access improvements including the riverside path between The Hook and Lady Bay bridge, and the various junction improvements (with better crossing facilities for cyclists and pedestrians) in the Trent Boulevard / Radcliffe Road area of Lady Bay / West Bridgford, including at Abbey Road, Rutland Road / Mabel Grove and the west end of Trent Boulevard.
There are no firm plans yet to upgrade riverside east of The Hook towards Holme Pierrepont (NCN15) which we are also keen to see along with improvements to NCN15 past the soon to be expanded NFFC City Ground, between Lady Bay Bride and the path under Trent Bridge to and from County Hall and the Suspension Bridge, etc.
On the north bank we hope that the permanent improved links between the new bridge and the City Centre will be signed as an improved connections between National Cycle Network Routes 6 and 15 connection via the Island Site-Canal Street-Castle Boulevard-QMC etc.
Partners and Press launch and tour on 1 October 2025
On 1 October partners were invited to tour the new walking and cycling bridge being built at Trent Basin before it is lifted into place this November.
Representatives of Rushcliffe Borough Council joined partner authorities Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council who have been instrumental in getting the bridge project off the ground plus project delivery lead Balfour Beatty, the Canal and River Trust, the Environment Agency, Pedals, Blueprint, Geldards, Pick Everard, Active Travel England and funders the Department for Transport.
The launch got good local media coverage including a BBC East Midlands Today interview with Cllr. Linda Woodings, the Transport Portfolio Holder for Nottingham City Council.
The bridge will be the flagship, and final project to come out of the Transforming Cities Fund programme, a bid of over £160million of central Government funding for projects which encourage inter-city connectivity and lower carbon journeys.
Flagship project
The new traffic-free bridge, the first to be built over the river Trent since Clifton Bridge in the 1950s, and its new and enhanced connecting paths will be a key link between the regenerating Trent Basin area with its new homes and schools, and the south side of the river with its many sports facilities including the City Ground, Trent Bridge, Holme Pierrepont and Nottingham Rugby Club.
By enhancing connections between communities, green spaces and riverside paths, the bridge will make it easier for people living and working in the Nottingham area to travel in a more sustainable way, linking those in communities such as Sneinton and the city centre with green space south of the river.
So far at least the project has been on time, we are pleased to learn. We very much hope that story winter weather etc, will not now delay things. Roll on the expected completion date of late next Spring!
For more information see:-
- Link to short video: “Building the new Walking and Cycling Bridge over the Trent in Nottingham” on You Tube:-
Building the new walking and cycling bridge over the Trent in Nottingham - Waterside Bridge: Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge – Transport Nottingham
See also this recent media coverage:-
WB Wire, 1.10.25:
Waterside Bridge over River Trent on schedule for June 2026 | West Bridgford Wire
Nottm Post, 2.10.25:
New bridge over River Trent ‘on budget and on target’ for 2026 completion – Nottinghamshire Live
BBC News, 3.10.25: Nottingham’s ‘historic’ bridge to be lifted over River Trent – BBC News
WBW, 3.10.25:
Waterside Bridge: Date revealed for installation of brand new cycle and walking bridge | West Bridgford Wire
Transport Nottingham, 3.10.25: Latest on Nottingham’s new walking and cycling bridge 🌉 The bridge will be lifted into place by a huge crane this November – Transport Nottingham
BBC News, 5.10.25: – New bridge will ‘open up’ Trent Basin community, say residents: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz69vx1ggpeo
BACKGROUND – see also this article, updated on 7.10.25:-ArticleForPedalsWatersideBridgeUpdatePost011025PartnersAndPressBriefing021025
The approval earlier in 2024 of the two planning applications to construct a new foot and cycle bridge over the Trent, between Trent Basin on the north bank and Lady Bay, West Bridgford on the south bank, and the final approval in October by the City Council’s Executive Board, together marked major landmarks in the campaign started in 2014 for such a bridge to be built on this side of Nottingham. As one of the key players involved all along, Nick Ebbs, former CEO of Blueprint Regeneration, commented early in 2024 “It’s been a long haul.”
Subject to the approval by the Department for Transport of the final cost estimates to be supplied in December 2024 by the City Council’s preferred Contractors, Balfour Beattie, and the finalisation of the Contract in January 2025, work should at last be starting early in 2025 with a bridge lift due in November and completion in the Spring of 2026.
Origins of the campaign for the bridge
Pedals has all along been one of the main organisations campaigning since 2014 for a new foot-cycle bridge over the Trent to be built on the east side of Nottingham, sparked off by a presentation to the Nottingham Civic Society earlier that year by Nick Ebbs, of Blueprint Regeneration (and a keen cyclist), on their plans for the major brownfield housing development at Trent Basin, and his suggestion that these might include a footbridge across the Trent. This generated lots of interest, leading to a meeting of all interested parties at the Blueprint Offices in the Lace Market at the end of August.
The campaign has involved close cooperation with several organisations including the Civic Society, the Nottingham Local Access Forum, the Riverside Crescent Residents Association and Blueprint Regeneration, the developers of the major brownfield housing scheme in the vicinity of the proposed site whose first phase got planning consent in 2014.
In addition, the campaign then gained the support in principle of over 20 other local environmental and transport etc. organisations from both sides of the river. This soon included the new Trent Basin Residents Association with several of their members, especially Sue Flack, giving very helpful further advice, following a special presentation at one of their meetings. We did such presentations and discussions with several other local groups at an early stage in our work, recognising the importance of extensive community engagement.
Aims of the new bridge
We emphasised the main aims of the new bridge to be: –
- Creating a major new landmark in the very attractive Riverside area on the east side of the city, like the Wilford Suspension Bridge west of Trent Bridge, and acting as a symbol of the Waterside Regeneration area.
- Creating a safer and more attractive route for pedestrians, cyclists and runners, including new options for circular routes
- Encouraging walking and cycling in the vicinity of the bridge and on its approaches as part of the wider Active Travel network for the Greater Nottingham area, for both leisure and other daily trip purposes such as commuting, trips to education and shopping etc.
- Providing much safer and more attractive routes for vulnerable road users than Trent Bridge and Lady Bay Bridge, including ones serving the main planned new major housing areas, especially to the east of Gamston and West Bridgford.
- Contributing to the regeneration of the whole Waterside area between Lady Bay Bridge and Colwick Park.
- Helping to promote public health by making it easier for people local to incorporate walking and cycling in their daily transport, and helping to address seriously high levels of air pollution from motor traffic
- Helping the urgent need to tackle climate change, especially the high levels of carbon emissions from motor transport, and to assist the City Council in their ambitions to make Nottingham a Carbon Neutral City by 2028.
Steering Group and Feasibility Study: Why such a bridge and where?
At the outset of the campaign a Steering Group was formed with representatives of the key promoting organisations, to work closely in making both the general case for the new bridge and the arguing the overall merits of our proposed site with the City and County Councils, Rushcliffe Borough Council, and other key organisations such as the Environment Agency and the Canal and River Trust.
The Sustrans Millennium Bridge over the River Ouse on the south side of York (photo: author)
The Sustrans Diglis Bridge over the River Severn on the south side of Worcester (Photo, taken on a dark and cold winter day! (author’s photo)
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge over the River Tyne (Gateshead / Newcastle upon Tyne), a Gateshead Council Project with the support of Sustrans and other organisations: Photo (author)
The Sustrans Pont y Werin (People’s Bridge), Cardiff Bay-Penarth, Wales
The Sustrans Peace Bridge in Derry / Londonderry in Northern Ireland which was also built with European Reconciliation funding
John Rhodes and I took the lead in drafting a feasibility study with the support of Sustrans, an organisation with extensive experience of planning and implementing such projects to promote walking and cycling, including such bridges in several places including York (Millennium Bridge), Worcester (Diglis Bridge), Gateshead Millennium Bridge (Gateshead / Newcastle upon Tyne), Cardiff Bay-Penarth (Pont y Werin or “The People’s Bridge”) and Derry / Londonderry (The Peace Bridge), notably.
In particular we learnt a lot from the very successful experience of the Diglis Bridge which we visited and cycled over after a very helpful meeting in December 2015 with officials from Worcestershire County Council and Sustrans who had been involved in the planning of that bridge, opened in 2010.
This had funding from the former “Connect 2” joint Sustrans-National Lottery Project, which, according to Sustrans was “all about connecting people to people, people to places and people to pride in their local community, with the nationwide community project aiming to create a more active and positive future for ourselves and our children.” Several of these projects, which included one in the Watermead Park area on the north side of Leicester near the A46 bypass, involved making it safer to cross major barriers such as main roads and rivers.
As well as drawing on the experience of other bridge projects in helping to make the case for another such bridge in Nottingham, we assessed in detail the merits and demerits of four different theoretically possible sites. These were: –
- The site originally proposed by the City Council, in 2000, for a foot-cycle bridge on the east side of the City, connecting Colwick Park with the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont.
This earlier bridge proposal was refused planning permission by Rushcliffe Borough Council, following objections from the Nottingham Sailing Club, and the City Council subsequently lost the planning appeal. Although this bridge was mainly designed as a leisure facility, with more limited commuting potential, there was much general disappointment at the new bridge project then being dropped. We were very careful in our feasibility study to learn the lessons from this unfortunate experience and to ensure that we consulted early on with a variety of interested organisations. - Incorporating a foot-cycle facility in the Environment Agency’s Holme Lock flood control barrier by Holme Pierrepont and Colwick Park.
To many people this seemed an obvious link, at least for a recreational bridge, though with less potential for commuting. However, closer investigation showed that the main objection to this was on grounds of security, given the potential for a public crossing at this point to cause major flooding if it resulted in a terrorist incident. - Incorporating a shared path on one or both sides of Lady Bay Bridge.
This had in fact been investigated in detail in a feasibility study in 2004 commissioned by the City and County Councils from Whitbybird Consulting. The report proposed several detailed design options but for various reasons these were never pursued. We concluded that while such an addition to the existing bridge would be useful for some people, especially cyclists from the Lady Bay area, it would not offer the same overall advantages as a new bridge. We also saw it as being much less attractive route for most pedestrians than a new bridge.
A new foot–cycle bridge, connecting the Lady Bay area of West Bridgford, with Trent Basin and the Blueprint Regeneration Trent Basin area.
At first, in 2014, the exact site we proposed was between the south end of Trent Lane, immediately east of the first phase of the Trent Basin housing scheme, and the north-west corner of The Hook open space by Lady Bay. However, in 2018, after further investigations, we decided to recommend a revised site about 100 metres further west, connecting the isthmus on the south side of Trent Basin itself with, on the south bank, the scrubland between the riverside path and the nearby sports pitches.
This change of exact site fitted in better with the detailed plans of Phase 2 of the Blueprint Regeneration Trent Basin housing scheme and also made it possible to address concerns about the possible adverse impact of the south bank landing and approach ramps on the very attractive group of poplar trees on the corner of The Hook, part of a group of trees planted in memory of those who died in the First World War.
The revised site for the bridge, which the Steering Group proposed in 2018, and which was then adopted by Nottingham City Council, when they took over responsibility for progressing the scheme and applying for funding to the Department for Transport.
The planned north-bank landing of the new bridge, on the isthmus by the entrance to Trent Basin, and connecting to a shorter foot-cycle bridge over this entrance, part of the north bank riverside path which will eventually connect all the way from Victoria Embankment and Meadow Lane Lock to Colwick Park, etc.
Getting City Council support
A key milestone in campaign in our campaign for the new bridge was achieved in August 2018 when we gained the support of the former Leader of the City Council, Councillor John Collins. As a result, the bridge proposal was included in the subsequent City Council Waterside Regeneration Strategy Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), formally adopted in 2019, and the City Council then took the lead in applying for funding to design and build the bridge.
The search for funding
The next challenge, to obtain funding, eventually led to a successful bid by the City Council in 2020 for support from the Department for Transports Transforming Cities Fund dedicated to promoting public transport and active travel projects.
Since then, a lot more work has been carried out by the City Council in particular as the promoting authority backed by a multi-agency steering group to support the design and discuss key issues. This includes representatives from Rushcliffe Borough Council, the County Council, the CRT and the Environment Agency.
In 2021 Amey Consulting were commissioned to design the bridge. Other further work included detailed ecological studies as well as detailed work on flood alleviation and other technical aspects of the design of the bridge and its approaches.
Public consultation found overwhelming support
Another important milestone in the development of plans for the bridge was the public consultation organised by the City Council in November 2021. In this the project found overwhelming general support, with over 83% of survey respondents in favour of the project. This was very encouraging and lead to the City Council’s Executive Board granting approval for a network arch design bridge scheme at Trent Basin in December 2021.
Delays and increasing project costs
It was then expected that detailed planning applications would be submitted in 2022 to the City Council and to Rushcliffe Borough Council but various delays then ensued. Some of these were the result of the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic and the consequent change to home-based working, but also because the project soon faced the challenge of increasing building costs and the general increased economic uncertainty following the start of the war in Ukraine. As a result, the total cost of the project, including improved approaches, rose from £9 million to £12 million.
Consequently, finalisation of the planning applications has been subject to further delays and is now expected in the late autumn of 2023, well over 6 months since the original deadline for completing the bridge of 31 March 2023, set by the DfT when their TCF support was first announced in March 2020.
The proposed south bank landing with the southside riverside path between Lady Bay Bridge, The Hook (Lady Bay) and Holme Pierrepont Water Sports Centre and Country Park. This path also form part of two major long-distances routes, the Trent Valley Way, and Route 15 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network.
Detailed design phase and complex legal procedures
The project has now entered the detailed design stage which is expected to last about a year. During this. Balfour Beattie, a firm with extensive international experience of bridge design and construction, will prepare detailed architectural and engineering drawings, while the Council will focus on land assembly, securing planning permission, and obtaining authority from the Secretary of State to build the bridge over navigable water, under Section 106 (3) of the Highways Act 1980.
Because the bridge will span two administrative boundaries, the City Council on the north side and Rushcliffe Borough Council on the south side where the County Council is the Local Highway Authority, there have had to be not only dual planning applications but also a Section 8 agreement under the Highways Act 1980 between the City Council and the County Council.
Although we knew all along that such ambitious projects were likely to take a minimum of 5 years to achieve, it is certainly frustrating that the whole process has taken so long and even now we are still well over a year away from the likely completion date. We know from the experience of comparable projects elsewhere that we have studied closely however, that a total period of about 10 years, from initiation to completion, is quite normal for projects of this kind!
A further report will be submitted to the City Council’s Executive Board to proceed to the construction stage once the detailed design build budget and future maintenance cost plan have been finalised.
Looking south across the Trent with, in the foreground, the shorter bridge planned across the entrance to Trent Basin, and, behind and to the right, the main foot-cycle bridge over the Trent.
The wider context including addressing climate change, air pollution and promoting public health
During this time the interest in climate change and environmental issues has grown greatly as has acceptance of the need for a major effort to reduce carbon emissions and for a big shift towards more sustainable transport, as well as a much greater awareness of the dangers of Air Pollution (from traffic in particular) and we have therefore seen the interest in Active Travel grow steadily. This has certainly helped our campaign greatly, as has the commitment by Nottingham City Council to become Carbon Neutral by 2028.
Map showing the connecting routes proposed by Nottingham City Council in 2021.
In July 2024 a series of improved connections to and from the south bank landing of the bridge, were agreed by the City and County Councils, with advice from Active Travel England, and support also from Sustrans, whose National Cycle Network Route 15, like the Trent Valley Way, follows the riverside path on the south side of the Trent in this area. These schemes include improvements to the surface of the riverside path and to several junctions nearby, especially in the Lady Bay / Radcliffe Road area of West Bridgford.
The importance of good connecting routes on both sides of the Trent
A variety of good connecting routes, including new and upgraded ones on both sides of the Trent, for both leisure and commuting trip purposes, have always been seen by the Bridge Steering Group as vital to maximising the potential of the new bridge.
North bank
The City Council have a very longstanding plan, dating back to their 1987 Local Plan, and renewed in the 2019 Waterside Strategy, for the riverside path on the north bank to be extended from Victoria Embankment and Meadow Lane Lock to be extended to Colwick Park, and this is very slowly being realised. The extended path between the east side of Trent Bridge and Meadow Lane Lock was finished in 2019, and a short extension east of this was built in 2022 as part of the Trent Quays Housing Scheme, opposite the City Ground on the south bank and just south of the Notts County Ground at Meadow Lane.
The section of new path between Trent Basin and Colwick Park, now almost finished, will be the first part of this to connect directly with the north bank landing of the bridge, by the entrance to Trent Basin. This is now being upgraded and connects to the recently improved and extended paths in Colwick Park. Several of these paths were very muddy in wet weather and now are much more accessible and therefore much more attractive to a variety of people including wheelchair and pushchair users as well as walkers, cyclists and runners. They are already proving very popular and, when the new bridge is open, will be much more easily accessible to people from south of the river, as will also Colwick Woods and the Sneinton Greenway.
There are also plans for improved commuter routes between the north side of the bridge and the City Centre, across the Trent Basin site to connect with the “Eastern Cycle Corridor” (A612), i.e. Daleside Road and Manvers Street near Sneinton, as well as improved links across the Island Site to connect with the series of City Council improvements for pedestrians and cyclists nearing completion in and around the London Road “BBC” Island Site, as well as the Canal Street and Broad Marsh areas.
East of Colwick Park there is potential for further improvements and extensions to the north bank riverside path, past Netherfield towards Stoke Bardolph etc although there are as yet no definite plans for these.
In the long run however the potential for such further improvements by be helped by the multi-faceted Trent Gateway Plan of the Environment Agency. So far, the almost completed Fish Pass in Colwick Park is the only project being implemented within this Framework but there may well in the course of time be several others, of direct interest to the Trent Gateway Access and Recreation Theme Delivery Group, and including extended and improved riverside paths, and multi-user access paths. Obtaining funding will of course be an issue but at least should be helped by being part of this wider framework, along with various other Trent Gateway projects relating to the other themes such as biodiversity and local history etc.
South bank
For various reasons plans for improvements to connect with the south bank landing of the bridge were more uncertain until July 2024, although several proposed routes were included in the Connections Map produced by the City Council and there is great potential for these to help make it easier for people to enjoy the riverside landscape on this side of Nottingham and this part of Rushcliffe, as well as to access nearby facilities and attractions. Rushcliffe Borough Council see a key benefit of the bridge as being to help people visit and enjoy the attractive part of their area between The Hook and Holme Pierrepont, etc.
In July 2024 a series of improved connections to and from the south bank landing of the bridge, were agreed by the City and County Councils, with advice from Active Travel England, and support also from Sustrans, whose National Cycle Network Route 15, like the Trent Valley Way, follows the riverside path on the south side of the Trent in this area. These schemes include improvements to the surface of the riverside path and to several junctions nearby, especially in the Lady Bay / Radcliffe Road area of West Bridgford.
One very useful relevant access improvement was the completion by the County Council in 2002 of the upgraded cycle path and footway on Regatta Way, between Adbolton Lane (near the National Water Sports Centre) and Radcliffe Road. It is however relatively short and, to achieve its full potential, needs extending at both ends, to and from the new bridge, the NWSC entrance, and also south of Radcliffe Road to and from the many major new housing schemes being built or planned to the east of West Bridgford and Gamston, especially the “Gamston Fields Sustainable Urban Extension” east of the A52 Gamston-Lings Bar Road, and between the Grantham Canal near Bassingfield and Tollerton.
Routes to and from Cotgrave, Radcliffe on Trent and Bingham, especially along the A52, also need improving to help cater for people in the major new housing developments in those places, particularly with the growth of ebikes making them more feasible for cycle commuting to and from West Bridgford and Nottingham. This will involve National Highways as well as the County and Borough Councils.
There is also a need for further more accessible leisure links to connect with the south bank landing, including on the riverside path between Lady Bay Bridge and Holme Pierrepont, with detailed design taking account of the particularly sensitive and attractive landscape of The Hook, a well-managed nature reserve with lots of local support, and to and from the Grantham Canal towpath, a very popular leisure route connecting through the Vale of Belvoir to Grantham.
Also, very near Holme Pierrepont is the Skylarks Nature Reserve, managed by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, where non-motorised travel would be greatly encouraged by good links to and from the new bridge, as also would access to the two major football grounds close to the river and Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. These are now often major generators of car parking pressures on local streets and motor traffic congestion!
The riverside path section passing the south bank landing is part both of the Trent Valley Way and Route 15 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network, and the bridge could also, with other possible improvements, link to various other routes including the Cotgrave Greenway (between Radcliffe on Trent and Cotgrave Country Park), opened in 2019, as well as Sustrans NCN Route 6 on the west and north sides of Nottingham.
Also relevant in the long run are possible further routes planned and implemented in the context of the LCWIP (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan) for the D2N2 Area, i.e. all of Nottinghamshire and all of Derbyshire, including the two cities. The 2 County and 2 City Councils carried out extensive public consultation early in 2023 on their draft proposals and priorities for each of their areas and have since been digesting the results.
It is now likely that responsibility for taking forward the recommendations will lie with the new East Midlands Combined Authority, following the Combined Authority elections in May 2024. This very important new role will soon include the appointment by the Mayor, Claire Ward, of an Active Travel Ambassador for the whole Combined Authority Area, and the production in 2025, of a Combined Authority Local Transport Plan.
Looking upstream towards Lady Bay Bridge and Trent Bridge with the new bridge in the foreground, and, on the right, the Trent Basin housing scheme being developed since 2015 in several phases by Blueprint Regeneration
Conclusion: a new destination and major new riverside landmark for Nottingham
The bridge will be the first crossing built over the Trent in Nottingham in 65 years. The more that further connections that can be achieved in the medium and longer terms, beyond the completion of the bridge, the more this will add to the value of this vital new link, not only opening up many new routes, short and long, linear and circular, for walkers, cyclists and runners, but also making the bridge more of a destination in its own right, for people to go to, to see, to have picnics near, to meet other people, and generally enjoy as a fantastic new asset and landmark in the superb riverside landscape through Nottingham.
Hugh McClintock
20.11.24
This is an updated version of an article which first appeared in February 2024 of the Nottingham Civic Society’s Newsletter.
Most images are the author’s own or with acknowledgements to Nottingham City Council unless otherwise indicated
Rushcliffe BC Planning Application 24/00126/FUL
Nottingham City Council Planning Application 24/00107/PFUL3
Foot-cycle bridge over the Trent planning applications submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council and Nottingham City Council in 1.2.24: Some Local Media and Council links including fly-thru video:-
First new bridge over River Trent in 65 years takes huge step forward – Nottinghamshire Live (nottinghampost.com)
River Trent: Plans officially submitted for new pedestrian and cycle bridge | West Bridgford Wire
BBC News – Nottingham: Plan to start work on River Trent bridge by summer
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-68172259
further media coverage later in 2024:–
New Trent Bridge goes ahead after final step approved | West Bridgford Wire
New River Trent Waterside Bridge construction delayed | West Bridgford Wire
Transport Nottingham (14.10.24): Council gives final go-ahead to landmark new bridge over the River Trent – Transport Nottingham
Appendix 2:
Pedals response to the Waterside Foot-cycle bridge Trent planning applications submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council and Nottingham City Council on 19 February 2024:-
Pedals comments just submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council (and also to Nottingham City Council)
From: PlanningOn-line@rushcliffe.gov.uk <PlanningOn-line@rushcliffe.gov.uk>
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2024 12:13 PM
To: Hugh.McClintock@ntlworld.com
Subject: Comments for Planning Application 24/00126/FUL
| Comments for Planning Application 24/00126/FUL |
| Application Summary | |
| Address: | Land East of Lady Bay Bridge Trentside Footpath West Bridgford Nottinghamshire |
| Proposal: | Construction of a pedestrian bridge and cycle bridge over the River Trent, with connecting ramps and steps, lighting, hard and soft landscaping and wetland/pond area. In addition to the main bridge, a connecting bridge over Trent Basin is proposed which will provide connections to the main bridge and will form part of east-west riverside path on the north bank. Demolition of Unit 5 Poulton Drive. Temporary compound and haul routes on both sides of the river, with connections to the existing adopted highway. |
| Case Officer: | Paul Taylor |
| Customer Details | |
| Name: | Mr Hugh McClintock |
| Comments Details | |
| Commenter Type: | Other Body |
| Stance: | Customer made comments in support of the Planning Application |
| Reasons for comment: | |
| Comments: | I am submitting these comments on behalf of Pedals (Nottingham Cycling Campaign).As one of the main organisations involved in the campaign for a new foot-cycle bridge on the east side of the Nottingham area, connecting the Trent Basin and Colwick areas with Lady Bay, West Bridgford, Pedals very much welcomes and supports these dual applications which we are sure will be of great benefit, not just to walkers, cyclists and wheelers, but also to runners, with a greater choice of safe and attractive linear and circular routes, in combination with other safer bridge crossings of the Trent in the West Bridgford and Nottingham area, particularly attractive for many leisure trips.As well as expressing our strong support we wish to take this opportunity to repeat and emphasise our view of the importance of the new bridge having a series of improved and extended connections on both sides of the Trent, to help exploit fully the potential of this new safe crossing of the river for encouraging Active Travel in general, both for leisure and commuting / utility use, and facilitating new opportunities for trips, in combination not just with the other bridge crossings but also the upgraded and extended riverside paths, together with improved and extended access routes in the wider bridge catchment area.Planning of these should take full account of the growing use of ebikes, which facilitate both longer trips by bike and cycling in hillier areas, including in particular, older age groups who might otherwise be more likely to stop cycling. The greater leisure cycling opportunities opened up by the completion of the bridge will be particularly important for them, and for families, helping, with training and wider support, to establish enduring Active Travel habits, with very great individual and public health benefits.Planning of routes means not only upgrading and extending the routes that are of most importance to facilitating access in the short term, coordinated with the opening of the bridge, but also a continuing well-coordinated effort, by the City and County Councils, Rushcliffe Borough Council and National Highways, as well as private developers, to implement a further series of good standard coherent connections, particularly with regard to the many new and planned housing developments in the vicinity, including the Trent Basin area north of the river and, to the south, the Gamston Fields Sustainable Urban Extension developments between Bassingfield and Tollerton, and in the Cotgrave, Radcliffe of Trent areas, and other nearby settlements. These routes, whether new or upgraded, should be designed to reflect the DfT Cycle Infrastructure Guidance in Local Transport 1/20 and its Core Design Principles (Section 4.2). Paragraph 4.2.2 states that:- “When people are travelling by cycle, they need networks and routes that are: Coherent, Direct, Safe, Comfortable and Attractive.”The expanded connections should also take account of the need to improve substandard sections of important national and regional routes nearby such as the Trent Valley Way, Route 15 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network, especially the very poor Private Road section on Holme Lane past Holme Pierrepont Hall) and the Grantham Canal towpath. The advice of both Sustrans and Active Travel England will be important in planning and implementing these further improvements, as will also that of the Canal and River Trust (CRT) with reference to towpath improvements.The most important connections we would like to see in the short term, coordinated with the opening of the bridge are, on the north bank, the completion of the riverside path between Colwick Park and Meadow Lane Lock, building on the very useful work already completed recently by the City Council upgrading a series of paths in Colwick Park and between there and Trent Lane.Also, a high priority on the north bank should be the creation of a safer and more direct high standard link to connect to Daleside Road (A612) and the rest of the Eastern Cycle Corridor, including a much better standard toucan crossing than the present very cramped and generally substandard one located a little west of the Trent Lane roundabout.On the south bank the main priorities should be the upgrading the riverside path (part of both the Trent Valley Way and Sustrans NCN Route 15) between Lady Bay Bridge and Holme Pierrepont Water Sports Centre and Country Park, with better links and from Adbolton Lane and the connecting Sustrans NCN15 Route to and from Radcliffe on Trent (all with 20mph speed limits), as well as the much improved cycle path on Regatta Way, opened by the County Council and Via-East Midlands Ltd. in August 2022.As well as upgrading all of the south bank riverside path between Lady Bay Bridge and The Hook, perhaps in a firm resin bound smooth and well-drained surface, to blend in better with the more rural surroundings, accesses to and from the south bank landing would benefit greatly from providing a more direct legal access to and from near the west end of Holme Road, Lady Bay, along the alignment across the edge of the Sports Ground which is now planned to be used as a haul route to and from the south bank construction compound, to the west of the Skate Park area.Towards Radcliffe on Trent NCN15 passes Skylarks Nature Reserve and connects to the very popular Cotgrave Greenway and Cotgrave Country Park, as well as the Grantham Canal towpath, forming a useful triangular leisure route for those cyclists who do want to venture further afield.The upgraded Regatta Way cycle path now very much needs to be extended at both ends, to and from the Water Sports Centre and Country Park, since the present shared path by Adbolton Lane is narrow and prone to flooding. It would help for the cycle path to be segregated from the present shared path and installed on the top of the flood embankment, in consultation with the Environment Agency.South of the junction with Adbolton Lane and Regatta Way the upgraded path should be complemented by a much higher standard crossing of Radcliffe Road (A6011) at its southern end, connecting to much improved provision on the south side of Radcliffe Road (between Davies Road and Ambleside), as well as through Gamston and, to and from the major housing developments planned to the east of the Gamston-Lings Bar section of the A52.Also very important in the short term is to improve a series of connections between the south bank landing and West Bridgford town centre and Abbey Ward, in particular, with improved and new safe crossings of Radcliffe Road and Davies Road (Mabel Grove, Cyril Road, Abbey Road, and through the junction at the west end of Trent Boulevard with Lady Bay Bridge Road), linking to quieter roads and streets in the vicinity as well as new and improved paths where there is room for good standard provision.Improved links across Radcliffe Road should also include a route between the riverside end of the stretch of Grantham Canal towpath opposite the Environment Agency offices (west of Lady Bay Bridge), Scarrington Road, Orston Road East and West, and Fox Road / Hound Road, etc. Upgrading this relatively short section of towpath would also be a very useful access improvement as part of this whole route.All these routes should be well marked and include clear and consistent direction signing, to connect with other existing cycle routes in the West Bridgford and Nottingham areas, and nearby settlements.In response to the previous general consultation by Nottingham City Council on the bridge plans, in November 2002, Pedals produced a detailed comprehensive list of the improved bridge connections which we would like to see developed on both sides of the river, in the short, medium, and longer terms. We very much still are committed to seeing all of these implemented in due course, along with more and improved connections between the south bank landing and the town centre and other parts of the existing, West Bridgford, Wilford and Clifton urban areas, as well as their various new developments and surrounding settlements.We would also like to emphasise that the new foot-cycle bridge should be followed by improvements for cyclists on existing road bridges across the Trent, especially Lady Bay Bridge and Trent Bridge but also Clifton Bridge which has some cycling provision but of very poor standard. This would benefit people living on the west side of West Bridgford, and Ruddington, but also Wilford and Clifton, in Nottingham City, together with residents of Fairham Pastures, the major new housing project now being developed between Clifton and Gotham, with various connections to existing routes in Nottingham and elsewhere in Rushcliffe Borough and beyond, e.g. the East Midlands Station, East Midlands Airport, East Midlands Gateway etc, areas as well as the regenerated Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station site and the River Soar Valley and River Soar Trail, and also Sustrans NCN Route 15 to the west of the M1, in the EMA / Diseworth etc. area.Furthermore, although the Wilford Suspension Bridge is a very well-used facility, very popular with runners as well as pedestrians and cyclists, its approaches on the West Bridgford side are substandard in terms of the direct access to and from Loughborough Road, especially for cyclists riding between Melton Road (A606) and the Welbeck Road approach to the bridge. This also needs to be improved to help ensure that there is a good range of alternative routes for cyclists between the West Bridgford (and Wilford and Clifton etc. areas) and Nottingham, depending on their exact trip origins and destinations, and allowing for the many major new and planned housing developments south of the river, in particular, and the consequent need to provide substantial alternatives modes to drivers for at least some of their trips, to help meet national and local targets for reducing traffic congestion, address poor air quality, promoting public and individual health and also meeting decarbonisation targets. DfT LTN 1/20 has a special section (Chapter 14) on Integrating Cycling with Highway Improvements and New Developments which is of particular relevance to the many new and planned housing developments in Rushcliffe Borough. There is, we understand, some Sustrans interest in the new bridge and improved links between the north bank landing and the City Centre forming a good standard connection between NCN Routes 15 and 6, which currently only passes about 3km west of the City Centre, in the Lenton, QMC, University Boulevard and Lenton areas. This would also include implementation of the plans by the City Council to upgrade the cycle crossing of Manvers Street near the east end of City Link on the Island Site, and upgraded connections across the Island Site to connect with the recently improved facilities at the London Road end of Station Street, and also those on the BBC Island at the north end of London Road and on Canal Street and Fishergate, etc. To the west this improved route would connect via the Castle Boulevard and Abbey Bridge cycle paths to and from NCN Route 6 in the Lenton / Dunkirk / QMC / University Park area. In the longer term we would like to see other extended route connections on both side of the Trent, including, on the north bank, an extension of the riverside path east of Colwick Park into Gedling Borough Council, towards Stoke Bardolph and, under the A6097 on the north side of Gunthorpe Bridge to Gunthorpe, etc, with a possible link also to Gedling Country Park and the new major Chase Farm housing development via a Greenway on the former railway line between Netherfield and Mapperley Top, as being considered by Gedling Borough Council but which, so far at least, lacks funding, so we understand. Such an improved connection in Gedling Borough would be an invaluable further extension to the series of route served by the new bridge north of the Trent, along with an extension of the riverside path east of Colwick Park, and improved provision in the A612 corridor to serve the new Rivendell major housing development and Burton Joyce, etc. It would also connect to and from Gedling Country Park and Mapperley Top via the shared path on Colliery Way opened in 2022. On the south bank a further useful connection would be to upgrade and legalise all of the present unofficial route between the north side of the Holme Pierrepont Water Sports Centre and Radcliffe on Trent, with connections to the Cotgrave Greenway and Grantham Canal towpath, as well as existing and planned new housing developments in the area. We also very much support such wider aspirations, and other such as further possible route developments as part of the Environment Agency’s Trent Gateway Project, which includes many very relevant general proposals such as improved walking and cycling routes on both banks of the Trent, between Sawley Marina and Cromwell Lock (north of Newark), and improved walking and cycling access routes to and from the river. Also very important, in the medium and longer terms are further related schemes implemented as part of the LCWIP (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Development Plan) for the whole D2N2 area, once the new East Midlands Combined Authority is established following the Mayoral Elections in May 2024. The advent of this new Authority, with major transport responsibilities and funding, is a very welcome important major new sources of funding for Active Travel, and particularly for ones of strategic importance such as helping to implement as wider series of connecting routes, for both leisure and commuting purposes, to exploit fully the great new potential for safe and attractive connections following the opening of this new bridge. In planning and promoting these there needs to be full stakeholder involvement, particularly with user groups, and including both the Nottingham Local Access Forum and the Nottinghamshire Local Access Forum, as well as the publication, both online and in printed form, of maps and guides to help promote both new and existing routes, especially ones with new connections. Local Health Practitioners should also be involved in this wider promotion, to help maximise the benefits to public and individual health, especially for people now with low physical activity levels. Other groups like Ridewise, Sustrans, Active Notts and Nottingham Bike Works should also be involved in this wider promotion, including guided walks and rides, and updated publications and websites to help highlight the various new connections on both banks with the opening of the bridge. Older publications such as the ‘Cycle Routes in Rushcliffe,’ and ‘Circular Walks in Rushcliffe, (1998)’ booklets produced about 25-30 years ago by Rushcliffe Borough Council, should be updated, as well as the series of Self-Guided Walks produced by the Nottingham Local Access Forum since 2013 and available on the City Council website. Visit Nottingham should also be involved in helping to promote these new opportunities as well as to use them a part of wider Sustainable Tourism initiatives, and they should also be featured prominently on the websites and publications of nearby leisure attractions such as Cotgrave Country Park, and Holme Pierrepont Water Sports Centre and Country Park, and Skylarks Nature Reserve On all routes, both on the immediate bridge approach routes and further afield, maintenance is a crucial issue, as well as maintenance of the bridge itself, and arrangements for maintenance responsibilities must be clearly set out. In this regard it should be noted that maintenance of the riverside path on the south bank of the Trent, between The Hook and Lady Bay Bridge, has been generally very poor ever since this section of the path (part of Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 15) was first tarmacked in the 1990s, and its effective width has been greatly narrowed, largely because of insufficient action to remove the large accumulation of fallen leaves each autumn. This neglect has made it easy for the surface to become very rough in parts, and for plants to grow in the resultant rotten leaves. Now that this already well-used section of path is to be the main route to and from the south bank landing of the new bridge it is imperative both that the surface is renewed (and made flood-proof) as well as that far more regular and effective maintenance arrangements are put in place. A final point we would like to raise is the very understandable fears that of some people living in the vicinity of the bridge may have about security, both on the bridge and on its immediate approaches, as well as in the wider vicinity. These concerns, we agree, need to be very carefully addressed, e.g by the use of CCTV as well as the proposed indicative handrail lighting proposals such as show in Figure 18 of the Combined Design and Access Statement and Planning Statement, and discussed on page 28 of that document. It would also encourage use of the bridge after dark to have some lighting on the south bank approach paths, carefully installed and designed to take account of the impact on wildlife, especially given the status of The Hook as a Local Nature Reserve. Everyone should feel safe when using the bridge and its approaches after dark, as well as during daylight hours. Concerns about security were, we recall, first raised in 2014 at the outset of the campaign by Pedals and several other local groups for a foot-cycle bridge in this area, and, the Bridge Steering Group, in compiling our feasibility study took advice from Sustrans about how best to address such concerns. In reply, the Sustrans Regional Director for the East Midlands at the time commented that in their experience it was very common for these kinds of concerns to be raised when similar projects were first proposed but that in practice there was very little evidence of such fears being realised in practice. In view of the time that has elapsed since this advice was given, we suggest, in view of the extensive experience of Sustrans in implementing such bridge projects (e.g. the Diglis Bridge over the River Severn in Worcester, the Millennium Bridge in York and the Pont y Gwerin, Cardiff), that their advice again be sought in respect of the current proposals and taking full account of the most recent experience of these and other similar projects. This would, we are sure, would be very helpful, in addition to other important sources of advice, from the Police, and now also from Active Travel England, through their recently appointed Regional Manager for the East Midlands. If this is done, it seems to us reasonable to expect that there need in practice be no more significant concerns about security aspects of this bridge than is the case now on the very popular Wilford Suspension Bridge to the west of Trent Bridge, a key existing connection over the Trent in the wider Nottingham and West Bridgford areas Active Travel Network, and also directly on both the Trent Valley Way and Route 15 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network, as the proposed new bridge will soon also be, if as we very much now hope, planning consent is now granted. |
Appendix 3:
Decision Notice from Rushcliffe Borough Council, July 2024 – RBCPlanningDecisionNoticeFromPaulTaylor110724Decision_FULL_Permitted