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SOS after Lossie bridge closure


By Lorna Thompson

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APPEALS have gone out to the Ministry of Defence and the Scottish tourism minister for urgent help after the closure of Lossiemouth's rusted and failing 100-year-old footbridge.

Moray MSP Richard Lochhead said the closure of the crossing to the east beach at the height of the tourism season was devastating for the town. The crossing was closed on Wednesday after structural engineers deemed it unsafe.

Mr Lochhead has asked the MoD whether they can step in to source a temporary bridge. The 39 Engineers Regiment at Kinloss stand ready to assist if the materials are made available.

He has also written to Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop MSP to ask what help and support she can offer the local community over fears that businesses in the "Jewel of Moray" could be left high and dry.

Moray Council is now liaising with Lossiemouth Community Council, Lossiemouth Community Development Trust (LCDT) and Lossiemouth Business Association to consider future action.

The trio of Lossiemouth organisations will hold a public meeting at 7pm this Wednesday, July 31, at Lossiemouth Town Hall, to discuss the closure and options.

LCDT's crowdfunder campaign to raise £20,000 towards a bridge structural survey is now sitting at more than £12,300.

Lossiemouth's East Beach footbridge. Picture: Reader Tom McPherson, from Hopeman.
Lossiemouth's East Beach footbridge. Picture: Reader Tom McPherson, from Hopeman.

Mr Lochhead said: "The closure of Lossie’s iconic footbridge at the height of the tourist season is a huge blow and I know that local businesses are already concerned about the immediate impact it is having.

"After speaking with senior personnel at Kinloss Barracks – where they helpfully said they were ready to help in any way they can – I wrote to the MoD to ask that they look at urgently deploying a temporary bridge from elsewhere to Lossiemouth.

"Losing access to one of Moray’s most popular beaches in the middle of summer is devastating for the community and the businesses who rely on visitors to the area and I’ve been in touch with the Scottish Government’s tourism secretary to ask for any support she’s able to provide.

"We know that a permanent solution will take time and a considerable sum of money. However, we do urgently need to find a temporary solution that allows access to the beach to be reinstated as soon as possible, and we must ensure that no stone is left unturned in our efforts to get a temporary fix put in place.

"The taskforce that the Moray Council is looking to establish will certainly help with that and I hope it will be able to meet as soon as possible.

"Whilst the bridge may be closed, we should all remember that Lossiemouth is very much open for business and we should continue to support the traders on the esplanade and in the community, as this will no doubt be a very anxious time for them."

The council advises that the east beach is still accessible via Arthur's Bridge, three miles away, and Kingston, seven miles away.

The Coastguard advised beach-goers at the weekend to use any of the surrounding beaches instead.

It added: "Numerous persons have waded across the river and then tried to cross back when the tide is coming back in. This increases the strength of the flow and the depth of the water greatly – which makes it much more dangerous and difficult to cross."

The council said the engineers found supporting ties to have cracked or split on the downstream truss in the middle of the bridge. It said: "One of these ties has clearly failed recently as the broken end has not yet rusted. The bridge is also now sagging noticeably towards the downstream side."

The bridge is not council property, but the local authority has a responsibility to keep the public safe around such structures.


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