Forestry England to remove 100-year-old New Forest footbridge despite local protests

Forestry England has confirmed it will press ahead with the demolition of a 100-year-old public footbridge in the New Forest village of Brockenhurst, despite a local campaign to save the crossing and warnings from residents about a dangerous diversion.

The agency said the ageing concrete structure no longer meets modern safety standards and that, as landowner, it has the authority to remove it after receiving legal advice from Hampshire County Council. Officials warned demolition work could begin as soon as the next day. Replacing the bridge, which links to a popular walking spot known as Black Knowl, would cost an estimated £45,000, the agency previously said.

Residents and campaigners say the bridge is used by about 100 people a day and provides a safer route into the forest than the alternative. Forestry England has proposed diverting pedestrians onto a route that it says takes about four minutes longer but involves a metre-wide stretch of road where pedestrians would have to share space with vehicles. Locals describe that stretch, on Meerut Road, as "extremely hazardous."

James Crill, a Brockenhurst resident, told Forestry England's regional communications manager, Esta Mion, that removing the bridge without replacement was "absolutely outrageous" and said the crossing formed part of a public right of way. Crill warned he might seek an urgent injunction if the agency proceeded without resolving the dispute. In response, Mion said Hampshire County Council's legal advice had confirmed no public right of way exists over the bridge and that Forestry England, as landowner, has authority to remove it in the interest of safety.

Local campaigners including Chris and Bernadette Daniels and Hannah and Robin Foster said the bridge is used year-round by walkers, dog walkers, runners and visitors to a nearby campsite managed by Forestry England. The Daniels said the bridge is "fundamentally sound" and that the work needed to meet safety requirements would be minor compared with the risks pedestrians face if forced to use the road at a sharp bend they say is prone to speeding traffic.

Plans to demolish the narrow concrete crossing were shelved four years ago after a public outcry, according to residents, but the issue has resurfaced as the agency reassesses ageing infrastructure. Forestry England said it has cut back vegetation to improve access to an alternative bridge located less than 200 metres away and has engaged with Hampshire County Council over the legal position.

Villagers say the bridge has been in place for about a century and forms an important local asset in the affluent community of Brockenhurst, a village of roughly 3,500 people where the average home is worth around £1 million. Campaigners have indicated they may pursue legal action to block removal.

The Daily Mail reported that it had approached Forestry England and Hampshire County Council for comment.