MP Theresa May shares concerns over council's 'lack of information' over continued Cookham Bridge closure

A lack of communication from the council over the continued closure of Cookham Bridge is increasing the uncertainty for businesses in the village, says MP Theresa May.

Cookham Bridge has been shut since mid-October for ‘essential maintenance work’, lasting approximately 20 weeks.

Following a meeting with Cookham High Street business Devine Flowers earlier this month, Mrs May has urged the council to publish a detailed timetable of the works with a clear date for its completion.

Mrs May said: “The message I continue to get from local businesses is that the closure of Cookham Bridge is having a major impact on them and there is a lack of communication from the council.

“This lack of information only exacerbates the uncertainty faced by the local community in Cookham.”

Mrs May said it is welcome news that permission has been given for bridge works to take place over the weekends but questioned why this did not happen from the very beginning.

“I have pressed the Royal Borough to publish a detailed timetable with a clear date for the works’ completion so businesses can hold the RBWM to account and, crucially, plan for the months ahead,” she added.

In a statement Devine Flowers said it is ‘continually unimpressed’ by the council’s ‘lack of urgency and understanding of the situation the bridge closure is having on businesses on both sides of the bridge’.

The business added: “We requested at the Town Hall meeting in October 2023 that our council representatives showed us the respect of transparency in sharing the working schedule and progress updates of this project.”

Councillor Geoff Hill, cabinet member for highways and transport, said the repair works on Cookham Bridge remain on schedule but a date for the bridge’s re-opening is yet to be confirmed.

He said: “We are all in agreement that we want to see this project completed and the road reopened as swiftly as possible.

“However, this needs to be balanced against the nature and complexity of the work.”

He added that the council has worked hard to provide ‘as much information as possible’ on its dedicated council webpages and residents’ newsletter as well as signposting by the bridge.

“The project team have regular on-site meetings with the council’s contractor to check progress, and work has been taking place on alternate weekends to optimise the programme,” Cllr Hill added.

Works are currently ongoing to prepare for the lifting of the bridge to allow the replacement of bearings.

Resurfacing is also scheduled to be carried out at the end of this month.