BRIGHTON BRIDGE

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18725, 23 June 1926, Page 10

BRIGHTON BRIDGE

INSTITUTION OF ACTION AT LAW. NOTICE SERVED ON COUNCIL. A notice was served on the Now Brighton Borough Council yesterday b> Mr A. F. Wright, of Messrs I>uncan, Ootterill and Co., solicitors, advising the Council that the firm had been instructed- by Mr R, B. Owen to institute a relator action claiming an miLiiction to restrain tho Council from proceeding with th o building of tiio undue over the Avon, witnout making duo provision for the public using, or likely to uso, the River Avon tor navigation pui'poses. The New Brighton Council, it wlj be remembered, uecided some time ago in favour of a low-level bridge, to give a clearance of only 4ft. A plan for the bridge was ordered and prepared, by an engineer and tenders were called. Then following representations in whicli the Christchurch City Council was interested, with others, New Brighton Borough postponed the acceptance of a tender until a conference with other local bodies could be field That conference was held on Monday, but as the New Brighton Council was dissatisfied with the proportion of the extra cost entailed in the building of a high-level bridge, which the City Council offered to pay, the Borough Council the same evening approved finally of the low-level plan, and decided to accept a tender. Mr Owen has actively opposed the low-level bridge project, because, as he states, the building of such a bridge would effectively close _ the Avon to navigation, and so make impossible any big scheme for the improvement of the river and the making of it a waterway for small craft. _ He states that those interested with him in schemes for the improvement of the river intend to oppose, to the utmost of the ripcht allowed them bv the law, the proposal of the New Brighton Council, and ho has no doubt that funds will be raised to take the matter through the Courts.