A petition has been launched calling for urgent work to replace the pedestrian bridge connecting Newton Poppleford with Harpford.

The main road bridge on the A3052 over the River Otter is narrow with no pedestrian footpath, on a dangerous blind bend. Pedestrians use the Red Bridge to reach all Newton Poppleford’s amenities. It also links Harpford with Tipton St John and is part of the East Devon Way.

However the Red Bridge is in need of maintenance, and the path across the fields beyond is muddy and crumbling into the river in places. Erosion on the Newton Poppleford bank may cut off access to the bridge – or the bridge itself may become too unsafe to use.

The petition has been started by Harpford resident Liz Dowen, chair of Harpford Village Hall.

She said: “In October 2020 Devon County Council completed some minor work to the Red Bridge after a petition to save it received 2,700 supporters. At this time Val Ranger, our district councillor, explained that the county council would not spend any further money in maintaining the Red Bridge, but there were plans to put a new bridge and a safe accessible pathway between Lower Way and Webbers Meadow. Two years have now passed and nothing has been agreed.”

She said the petition would show the public support for a new bridge and ‘remind Devon County Council of their duty to build strong connected communities and support the safety, health and well-being of all residents’.

'We are in discussions with landowners'

Devon county councillor Stuart Hughes, the cabinet member with responsibility for bridges, said the county council had installed rock armour in 2020 to protect the western end of the bridge, but recognises that the continued erosion of the riverbanks near the bridge may make it unusable in future.

He said: “We're proposing to replace the bridge with a shared use bridge for walkers, horse riders and cyclists, and relocate it. We are in discussions with landowners on the proposed footpath diversions that would be needed for this. Those talks are ongoing.”

Liz Dowen said: “It is fantastic to hear today that ‘talks are on-going’ but as far as we are aware, up until last week, the landowner knew nothing of it! I believe, since the petition appeared, talks may have begun?

"Given the time it takes to build a bridge, it is most likely that the community will be cut off with no bridge and no replacement."

The petition can be found on Change.org