The Mayor of Marlow has said he is afraid the town’s historic bridge could be pedestrianised if action is not taken to prevent heavy vehicles crossing the Grade-I listed structure.

It’s no secret that Marlow Bridge, a 19th-century suspension bridge designed by civil engineer William Tierney Clark, has had its fair share of weight restriction issues, with many an HGV lumbering into and away from the town clocking in far above the three-tonne limit.

Following news that the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council is planning to introduce Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras on nearby Cookham Bridge following a temporary closure, calls have been renewed for similar measures to be put in place in Marlow, with some – including Mayor David Brown – concerned that the iconic structure’s future could be at risk if nothing is done to protect it.

While Marlow Bridge stands between Marlow and Bisham over the River Thames, Buckinghamshire Council bears responsibility for its management and maintenance and, crucially, was granted authority over traffic enforcement in several other parts of the county by the Department for Transport in 2022.

A temporary ANPR camera was installed on the bridge back in November 2021, revealing that on average 97 vehicles were breaching the weight restriction every day, but it was permanently removed at the end of a trial period due to legislative regulations on weight limit enforcement by local authorities.

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Rules state that the council can only enforce environmental weight limits on routes unsuitable for HGVs and where there is a better and equally convenient alternative. Unfortunately, control over structural weight limits, as would be the case for Marlow Bridge, falls outside this remit.

Although he acknowledged the logistical difficulties of installing ANPR in the town, Mayor of Marlow David Brown told the Free Press he believes action does need to be taken to protect the historic bridge in the long term.

He said: “It is important to protect our bridge from misuse by oversized vehicles. It’s an iconic part of the town and because of its bearings, it can only take a certain amount of weight.

“It would be awful if nothing is done – unless something changes, it might end up having to be pedestrianised or something similar. We want to move forward in a way that is positive for the bridge and its history, but at some point, it will reach its limit.

“Drivers being given fines might deter them from doing it again, but it might also come down to something as drastic as replacing the bearings and changing the weight restriction.

“(As a Town Council), we do try our best to look after the bridge and ask Buckinghamshire Council to monitor and maintain it. Our priority is keeping it the local landmark that it is.”