In 2014, LOSRA commissioned a report by the engineering consultancy Ramboll into the feasibility of a pedestrian/cycle bridge to connect Lower Sunbury with the Thames Path on the Walton side of the river. The report offered five alternative locations for a bridge, with estimated costs ranging from £4.1m to £5.2m.
Following receipt of the report, LOSRA initiated a public consultation through the consulting firm Cratus Communications, generously funded by a private donor.
A total of 911 local residents responded to the feasibility study's options. Overwhelming support for the proposal was shown by 93% of respondents with only 3% against. 4% were undecided or did not show a clear preference.
To see the one-page executive summary, click here
If you have more time for the thorough and detailed report, click here
Since the public consultation, LOSRA has continued to campaign for a pedestrian and cycle bridge.
In 2022, Surrey County Council commissioned a review of the Ramboll report. This review was conducted by Atkins, the well-known engineering consultancy. The Atkins review concluded that the cost of Option B, the most popular location (Flowerpot Green), would range from £21.4m to £33.6m. The substantial disparity between this estimate and the 2015 one, even accounting for inflation, has made LOSRA question the SCC estimate.
By comparison, the Christchurch pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Thames in Reading was completed with a very similar design requirement for £5.9m in 2015, the equivalent of £7.85m in 2022 (according to the Government’s infrastructure cost index). In addition, the reported cost of the 2022 Barnes railway bridge riverside underpass was just £3m.
Most recently, LOSRA has suggested to SCC and the Environment Agency that a new bridge might be included as part of the so-called River Thames Scheme. The RTS, a £640m project (2022 estimate), has been proposed to reduce the risk of flooding between Egham and Teddington. Most relevantly, it incorporates significant ‘active travel’ routes - which would only be accessible to Sunbury residents if there were a bridge at Sunbury. We will continue to press for our bridge.
