Wednesday 13 July 2022

CAMPAIGNERS have lost their battle to save the distinctive and historic wooden canopy over the footbridge at Beverley railway station. East Riding planning councillors voted to give Network Rail permission to go-ahead with strengthening work on the bridge and to remove the canopy, said to be “structurally failing”. 

Beverley Town Council, Beverley Civic Society, local residents, national amenity societies and others all objected to Network Rail’s plans, calling for them to “think again” and come up with plans to see the canopy retained. But at Monday’s meeting of the eastern area planning sub-committee, only Liberal Democrat Cllr Phil Davison spoke against the decision. 

Committee chairman Sue Steel said they’d been told that even with strengthening and renovations the bridge might not take the weight of the canopy, posing a risk to users and rail passengers.  Beverley Civic Society chairman Dick Lidwell expressed disappointment, saying its planned replacement was “utilitarian and obnoxious”. 

THE multi-million-pound Beverley Enterprise Centre has been officially opened with local MP Graham Stuart cutting the ribbon. The £4.8million development on Grovehill Road offers superior facilities for new and existing businesses and 30 companies are now expected to make the centre their new home.

East Riding Council has part-funded the project, which secured £1.5m from the European Regional Development Fund and £500,000 from the Getting Building Fund, via the Hull and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership.