Calls for lorries ban on damaged Ludlow bridge

More than 96 per cent of people responding to an online survey supported the idea of banning HGVs within 24 hours of the poll going live.

It comes after the Grade I-listed bridge across the River Teme was severely damaged when it was hit by a lorry. Part of the bridge wall was demolished, and A nearby section of wall on the northern bank of the river was also damaged in an separate accident involving another lorry.

The bridge – which is on the main route into Ludlow town centre from the south – has been closed for three weeks and is not expected until the end of April.

The idea of a ban has been raised by Councillor Andy Boddington in his online blog.

Stone has been sourced to fix the bridge but a second stretch of wall, hit in another lorry accident next to the bridge this week, will need to be taken apart and rebuilt.

The work is hoped to be completed in six weeks at the most, according to Councillor Boddington, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow North. But he said the work is weather-dependent and approval is needed from Historic England.

Councillor Boddington said: "An application for scheduled monument consent was made on March 2. Historic England says it will process the application as quickly as it is able to. It is important that any stone used is a good match to that originally used for the bridge. Some will be recovered from the river but additional stone will need to be sourced from quarries."

Councillor Boddington launched a survey on his online blog, andybodders.com,asking whether heavy goods vehicles should be banned from Ludford Bridge in the future.