Oxfordshire bridge closure comes as management ‘weaknesses’ found

The council’s internal audit for 2025/26 found “weaknesses” in every risk area of the authority’s bridge management, including a “longstanding backlog in inspections”.

On Friday, May 15, Cottesmore footbridge was closed without prior notice amid “safety concerns with structure”, a move which has prompted interventions from MP Anneliese Dodds (Labour) and several councillors.

There is concern about the communication of the sudden closure and the lack of a timetable for reopening.

Dame Dodds said: “Safety has to come first, but local residents in both Littlemore and Rose Hill have been kept totally in the dark about what’s happening here.

“The county council seems sadly to have made very little effort to inform local people of what is happening. Concerningly, there does not seem to be any plan or even commitment, to sort out this situation for Rose Hill and Littlemore residents.”

She called the diversion “huge” and a “particularly big problem” for elderly and disabled people. 

City councillor Ed Turner (Labour) said: “Obviously if the bridge is unsafe it has to be closed, but to go from it being safe one day to closed the next, in spite of questions just months ago, is concerning. 

“Communications on this topic have been atrocious, to date I have had zero communication from Oxfordshire County Council.”

Councillor Ed Turner (Image: Ed Nix)

He added: “We need an urgent commitment to get it reopened, or replaced, as soon as possible.”

Announcing the closure Rebekah Fletcher, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport management, said: “We appreciate how popular this footbridge is, and how important it is for the communities of Rose Hill and Littlemore.

“However, our top priority is always the safety of the public, and we will not compromise on that.

“The decision to close the bridge has not been taken lightly, but it was the only option in the circumstances.”

This is not the only instance of structural concern for the county’s crossings.

Donnington Bridge remains closed to buses as a council contractor investigates the potential need for “strengthening or replacement”.

(Image: Unknown)

A spokesperson for the county council said: “The intended course of action is dependent on the outcomes of site investigations and feasibility study work, with a decision to be taken later this year.”

Under the Highways Act 1980, Oxfordshire County Council has a “duty to maintain highways, including structures such as bridges, in a safe condition”.

The audit “identified under-delivery and weak quality assurance across inspection, maintenance and repairs, with a longstanding backlog in inspections and an inconsistent approach to the recording of follow-up activity and remedial actions”.

It flagged that this situation was combined with a “material underspend” of capital funds allocated to a bridge programme.

The report concluded: “The issues highlighted in this report identify underlying root causes in People, Processes, and Management/Governance.

“Specifically, a lack of formalised guidance, poor data governance, and weak oversight, escalation, and performance monitoring arrangements.”