Battle of Tadcaster Bridge leaves bitter taste

I AM standing in the heart of Tadcaster, looking across the still swollen River Wharfe to the shops and homes on the other side. But where a few weeks ago it would have taken me all of a minute on foot to reach them, I must instead wait for a shuttle bus that will embark on a six-mile trip to take me there.

Since the December floods washed away the Grade II listed road bridge spanning its two sides, Tadcaster has been a town torn in two.

“It’s like an army operation getting from one side to the other,” says Irene Bulmer, a sprightly 71-year-old embarking on a shopping trip, as we head on to the A64 in a free shuttle bus provided by North Yorkshire County Council before doubling back on ourselves and heading down the southbound carriageway to reach Tadcaster East.

“The supermarket and medical centre are on one side and the pharmacy, banks and everything else on the other. All the schools are there too, it must be horrendous for parents.”

To outsiders, the situation might appear more than a little puzzling – not least as a temporary footbridge was quickly sourced to allow the two sides of the town to be reconnected while repairs to the old bridge were carried out. But then they don’t know the unique politics at play in this small market town.

The reason for the delay – and that 12-mile round trip – is that the ideal site for the temporary bridge happened to be on land owned by the Samuel Smith’s Brewery which dominates the town. As such, it required permission from present owner Humphrey Smith before it could go ahead.

Yet Mr Smith was reluctant to give the green light, leaving residents and traders alike in limbo and the town cut in half. He insisted the £300,000 cost of the temporary bridge didn’t represent a good use of public funds and that poor maintenance by the county council was to blame for the collapse of the old one, a claim they deny.

“Every day that goes by it’s costing traders money which they can ill afford to lose having been flooded, and it’s hugely frustrating for residents as well,” says local MP Nigel Adams.

“It’s a 12-mile round trip by bus and a lot of people won’t bother doing that, so that hits trade in the town significantly. You can already see footfall is down, despite many of the shops being open for business.”

The next twist in the saga saw Mr Smith say he would allow a footbridge on his land, but only if he was given a say in the repair of the old bridge. For many residents who feel his interventions have become all too commonplace down the years, this was the final straw.