Dronfield Eye Issue 213 September 2023

dronfield EYE
No plan yet for ramp replacement
T
HE wooden walkway attached to Lea Road
railway bridge is slowly deteriorating but
plans for a replacement have yet to be
determined.
That is the latest news from the Friends of Dronfield
Station, who are regularly asked by residents about
the likely future of the structure, closed to pedestrians
five years ago.
Built in the 1870s, the 45-metre ramp is visible on old
photographs of the town, serving as a shortcut
between Dronfield Bottom and the Parish Church and
High Street.
While the Lea Road bridge is a listed structure, the
wooden walkway isn’t, although its design is unusual
with only one other polygonal arch bridge remaining
in the UK. Since 2018, the ramp has been closed due
to the poor condition of its timbers.
Owners Derbyshire County Council had deemed it
unfeasible to repair the ramp and a scheme for a
modern steel replacement had been shelved.
Earlier this summer, a meeting was held at the site to
discuss the situation. It was attended by Adam Shaftoe,
chief engineer with Derbyshire County Council, Lee Rowley MP,
and Coun Charlotte Cupit, County and District Councillor,
together with representatives from FoDS and Dronfield Civic
Society.
FoDS’ Philip Brightmore told Dronfield Eye: “Adam informed the
group that DCC were still waiting contact from Network Rail as to
when electrification of the Midland Main Line will reach Dronfield.
This information had been due in April.
“When electrification does come it will affect the Lea Road
bridge, which may have to be raised and this will have
ramifications for the building of a replacement ramp.
“The whole ramp is in a very poor condition and laser
recordings of its movement have to be regularly taken. The
brackets holding the structure together are failing and the
ramp is very slowly leaning more each year towards the railway
line.
“The wooden ramp itself will remain in place for probably
the next two years, assuming there is no large-scale
72
Closure sign at the foot of the wooden walkway
deterioration.”
“However, the metal grills at the top and bottom of the ramp
preventing access will be replaced this summer with new stone
walls topped with wooden fencing to give a more aesthetically
pleasing look.”
Safety concerns have been voiced since the walkway was shut,
firstly about limited pavement access at the junction of
Chesterfield Road and Lea Road for people who use wheelchairs
and secondly about schoolchildren using the station as a cutthrough.
Network Rail is electrifying the Midland Mainline in sections over
the next few years to allow electric trains to run along the full
length of the line from London.
The next phases of the work will cover the stretch from
Kettering to Sheffield and Nottingham.
Philip added that Derbyshire County Council intends to request
Network Rail for assistance with the cost of a replacement ramp
as they own the land on which it is built.
Midwives raining champions
of Yorkshire’s Three Peaks
A WOMAN from Dronfield was among a team of midwives who
completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge to raise money
for the Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity.
Danielle Thomas joined Lucy Howson, Beth White, Sophie Walker,
and Nicola Blakemore – all colleagues in Rotherham – to take on
the 24.5 mile walk encompassing peaks in the Yorkshire Dales: Pen-
Y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough.
The group were inspired by Lucy’s daughter, Heidi, who was
diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in August last year,
just a few weeks before her sixth birthday.
Danielle said: “Heidi is around half way through her treatment now
and the family have been cared for so wonderfully by the Sheffield
Children’s Hospital.
“We knew we wanted to take on something super challenging and
inspired by the strength and courage of brave little Heidi we decided
to set our sights on the heights of the Yorkshire Three Peaks.”
The midwives prepared by tackling hills in the Peak District and
completed the challenge in pouring rain in just under 12 hours,
raising over £5,000 so far.
You can donate to Team Heidi’s efforts via events.tchc.org.uk/
fundraisers/TeamHeidi