Local MPs are backing calls for Chetwynd Bridge to be given funding as part of a new government scheme.
Staffordshire County Council will be putting the bridge forward for funding from the government’s new ‘Structures Fund,’ designed to help councils fix key structures in their areas.
The Grade 2* listed structure near Alrewas is a critical gateway to the National Memorial Arboretum.
A county council business case estimates it will cost around £27 million to fund the scheme that will preserve the bridge for the future.
Now, local MPs have backed the bid and have entreated Transport Minister Simon Lightwood MP to ensure it is successful in its bid for funding.
Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways said:
It’s really pleasing to see local MPs putting their full weight behind our bid for Chetwynd Bridge. With our feasibility study completed, plus the modelling we have had done for what the new structure will look like, we believe we have a very strong bid to submit in August.
This scheme represents a vital investment in both infrastructure and heritage, ensuring safe and reliable access to the Arboretum and supporting the wider local and regional economy. We believe it aligns with national priorities around infrastructure renewal, heritage preservation, and support for places of national significance."
Dave Robertson, MP for Lichfield, Burntwood & the villages said:
The launch of the Government’s new Structures Fund is excellent news for our area. Chetwynd Bridge is a vital local crossing and the largest cast iron bridge in the country, and it is imperative that it is urgently replaced to ensure it is fit for the 21st century.
I’m pleased that, following discussions I held alongside fellow MPs with Department for Transport ministers, the fund will enable councils to seek funding for replacement bridges, including a much-needed replacement for Chetwynd Bridge. I will continue working with local partners to make the strongest possible case for this investment.”
Sarah Edwards, MP for Tamworth, said:
This piece of local infrastructure is vital to both our local logistics and farming communities. Restoring it would unlock the local economy by removing burdensome extra costs. It would also provide a vital route to alleviate the impact of local flooding which isolates rural communities.”
The final bid for Chetwynd Bridge will be submitted to the fund in early August.
