New Aquadrome bridge gets green light from councillors

Members of Three Rivers District Council’s planning committee have given the green light to a planning application that seeks to replace the current pedestrian bridge off Riverside Drive, next to Ebury Play Area, with a revitalised structure that will be much wider to allow shared usage for pedestrians and cyclists and will include enhanced landscaping.

Although the bridge is safe to use, a report found the bridge was reaching the end of its usable life and would require significant repairs in the coming years.

Councillors approved the application at the planning meeting on Thursday 19 October.

Cllr Chris Lloyd, Lead Member for Leisure, said: “I’m pleased to see that the replacement of the pedestrian bridge with a new key access has taken a further step to fruition.

“The Rickmansworth Aquadrome is well loved by residents, so making sure this key access is future-proofed for years to come is very important to save maintenance costs and minimise disruption as much as possible.

“This replacement also provides us an opportunity to create better access to the Rickmansworth Aquadrome, by enhancing the area and creating a new link for cyclists.”

Earlier this year, councillors at a Full Council meeting agreed to allocate £320,524 from the Community Infrastructure Levy pot – a charge the council implements on new developments – to fund the project. The council is currently working on finding further funds for the project. Planning permission was required before other funding can be applied for.