Inspection and safety of bridges 2022-2024 - Find a freedom of information request

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am requesting the following information relating to the inspection and safety of bridges managed by your council over the past three calendar years (2022, 2023, and 2024):

1. The total number of bridges under your council's ownership or responsibility. For this request, a bridge is defined as any structure designed to carry a road, path, or other route over a physical obstacle such as water, a railway, a road, or a valley, and with a span of 1.5 metres or more.

2. The number of bridge inspections carried out per year (2022-2024), including a breakdown by:

- General visual inspections

- Principal inspections

- Special inspections (e.g. following flood events or accidents)

3. The number of bridges found to be structurally unsafe during inspections in each of the three years.

4. Of those deemed unsafe, how many:

- Were closed to traffic or pedestrians

- Required immediate repairs

- Are still awaiting repair as of the date of this request

5. Any funding received or applied for from central government or other sources specifically to support bridge repair or safety enhancements during this period.

1. 1,516.

2.

General visual inspections

• 2022 – 1,011
• 2023 - 833
• 2024 - 782

Principal inspections

• 2022 – 105
• 2023 - 127
• 2024 - 190

Special inspections (e.g. following flood events or accidents)

Records not kept.

3.

• 2022 - none
• 2023 - one
• 2024 - one

4.

Were closed to traffic or pedestrians

• 2022 - none
• 2023 - one
• 2024 - one

Required immediate repairs

• 2022 - none
• 2023 - one
• 2024 - one

Are still awaiting repair as of the date of this request

• none

5. No.