BRIGHTON BRIDGE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18149, 12 August 1924, Page 7

BRIGHTON BRIDGE.

——♦- . REBUILDING OR WIDENING ? The scheme put forward by the New Brighton Borough Council to replace the present bridge over the river leading to the borough by a more substantial structure costing £7300,. the cost to be shared by the local authorities interested, was referred by the City Council to the Finance Committee, which at tlic meeting last night reported that they considered that the present bridge, if widened, ivould meet requirements for many years to come, and recommended the Council to object to the proposed new bridge, and also -to the allocation of the payment of 16 2-3 per cent, of the cost of the work.

Cr. W. E. Leadley said a -conference should be called of representatives of the local bodies concerned. A new bridge was required. The Heathcote Council and the Tramway Board had turned the new bridge proposal down, but he hoped that the City Council would take up a more reasonable attitude. If no amicable arrangement was come to, then a Commission would be set up to deal with the matter. He moved that a conference be called to consider the whole question. Cr. J. K. Archer, who seconded the motion pro forma, said that no harm could be done by having a conference., ' Cr. W. H. Winsor said that if -ho new bridge was left over till later when New Brighton was part of the citv, then the city would have toi p.iy the whole cost, and not 16 2-3 of the COSt. ' ,ii The Mayor said there had aiready been two conferences. Cr. Winsor: Not with this Council. The Mayor said that if the proposed allocation of the cost was objected to; then a Commission would automatically follow. Cr. E. H. Andrews said that at a previous conference the Council had agieec to its quota of 16 2-3 per cent. Cr. J. W. Beanland said tiie Couii;*ii was faced with so much necessary expenditure that it should not enter into any further obligations. The Mayor said the Council s share could be provided by special loan raised by special order. . Cr. Beanland said the present was too good to be scrapped. The Tramway Board had recently spent a large amount of money in re-laying the track over the bridge, and the Board should not be put to further expense S °Cr. Winsor: Speak as a Councillor and "not as of the Tramway T. Armstrong said that £6O or £7O a year would meet the annual cost of the Council's special loan required to pay its share. , The Council referred the matter back to the committee to call a conference of the local bodies interested.