Liberal Democrats support residents' call for action on Queen’s bridge

Cllr Henry Vann (leader of the Liberal Democrat Group) has called on the Conservative administration to fix or replace Queen’s Bridge urgently, backing a petition brought forward by a local resident.

The bridge that is currently closed is hugely important for people travelling daily to and from Kempston, Queen’s Park and beyond.

At the last meeting of Bedford Borough Council, Cllr Vann asked for confirmation that work on Queen’s bridge would be deliverable - for example if the Mayor's property buying fund were scrapped. After securing the confirmation that this was being considered but without any further details on timescales at the time, Cllr Vann urged action and praised the resident for bringing the petition forward.

Cllr Vann commented: “It is hard to overstate what a vital link this bridge is to the communities of Kempston and Queen’s Park. The closure of the bridge has brought considerable inconvenience as it was used daily by people travelling to work, school, doctors’ surgeries, places of worship, and local shops. The diversion over Prebend Street bridge is over 800 metres away, and has no dedicated lane for cyclists. We have not yet been shown any plans even though I was assured they would be ready this week. I urge the Mayor to make progress on this crucial work.”