Barcombe Bridge 🎩

In Victorian days I spanned the Bluebell Railway. Now I'm a crucial bridge across a wildlife corridor. Yet National Highways wants to bury me in concrete. Pah!

[Barcombe Bridge 🎩 @BarcombeBridge]

Railway wildlife corridors at risk!

Protect the ecology of Britain’s dismantled railways by commissioning an independent body to assess the habitats they host, their viability as wildlife corridors & to recommend appropriate safeguards & mitigations.

https://t.co/x6l25lrTpP

[Barcombe Bridge 🎩 @BarcombeBridge]

#Barcombe once again showing it's a village not to be messed with - 🎩s off to the campaigners fighting to save the #BlackcurrantField near to the dismantled railway wildlife corridor I span.

[We Won't Be Squashed @WWBSquashed]

Fantastic to see such prominent footage of the We Won't Be Squashed campaign in the print version of @sussex_express, reported by @SusanKing27. Let's hope @LewesDC Lewes District Council hears our message loud and clear and helps #SaveOurBlackcurrantField.

@CPRESussex

[Great Musgrave Bridge @MusgraveBridge]

Standing alongside you, BB.

[Barcombe Bridge 🎩 @BarcombeBridge]

@MusgraveBridge Thank you GMB 🎩

[The HRE Group @theHREgroup]

Events today at #Barcombe demonstrate that the fight to secure the future of this valued community asset - and dozens of others - will not be over until works to sensitively repair it are confirmed and delivered.
The need to rebuild trust with communities is clear and urgent.

[Barcombe Bridge 🎩 @BarcombeBridge]

As for the effects on this old Victorian, I've mopped my brow with my snottinger, and I'm still standing. 🎩

#StopTheInfill

@LewesDC @EastSussexCC @Lewes_Lib_Dems @LewesGreenParty @LewesLabour @LewesCons @mariacaulfield @JamesMacCleary
@SussexBylines @sussex_express

[Barcombe Bridge 🎩 @BarcombeBridge]

Almost had an attack of The Morbs this morning and had to put on my 🧐 as well as 🎩 after a contractor laid cones and SLOW signs on my verges, saying these would be in place until "works commenced"!

It was all rather discombobulating and alarming. 🧵

[Barcombe Bridge 🎩 @BarcombeBridge]

3/ But to #Barcombe this is a sign I'm not out of danger until proper, sensitive repairs are carried out.

I hope @esccroads have been reminded of the importance of transparency & community engagement. None of my neighbours knew what was happening. It caused much alarm. 🧵

[Barcombe Bridge 🎩 @BarcombeBridge]

More hornswoggling afoot! But this time it's my near neighbour, Barcombe's #BlackcurrantField that needs saving from ill thought-through intentions to concrete over local green spaces.

Give We Won't Be Squashed @WWBSquashed a follow. And hats off 🎩 to their volunteers!

[We Won't Be Squashed @WWBSquashed]

JOIN THE RALLY TO #SaveOurBlackcurrantField!

Come along to the village roundabout at 10.30am Saturday, from where we'll walk to the Blackcurrant Field to protest against #Gladman's horrendous development proposals.

Please bring plenty of supplies to stay hydrated & sun safe.

[Family ByCycle @FamilyByCycle]

@GraemBickerdike @RLJ63 @NationalHways @theHREgroup I hope the @ICOnews are following this one, because it’s a big-ticket example of a public body abusing the rules having been caught out by a campaign group who pursued the truth and found it to be an uncomfortable one. Significant public and media interest already established.

[Family ByCycle @FamilyByCycle]

@GraemBickerdike @RLJ63 @NationalHways @theHREgroup I’m still trying to reconcile the term ‘distress’ as used, with a public body. The whole *purpose* of FOI is to force disclosure of things which a body might otherwise try to keep quiet, to cover laziness, malpractice, misfeasance or other impropriety. They just don’t like you.

[Graeme Bickerdike @GraemBickerdike]

Thank you - this means such a lot from a fellow bridge campaigner.
Do read @zel_ouse whole thread.

[Helen Bickerdike @hbick96]

@zel_ouse @NationalHways Appalling as @NationalHways & their response to perfectly legitimate requests are, it does show that they are rattled by the @theHREgroup's scrutiny. A competent organisation wouldn't warrant such scrutiny in the first place!

[The HRE Group @theHREgroup]

Successful campaigning is never easy or half-hearted.
Ours resulted in the Government halting a public body's works programme and a notable planning victory, whilst the civil engineering profession stood alongside us.
@NationalHways has no concept of what it took to achieve that.

[Barcombe Bridge 🎩 @BarcombeBridge]

@GraemBickerdike @NationalHways 🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩

[Barcombe Bridge 🎩 @BarcombeBridge]

Doffing my 🎩 again to @GraemBickerdike whose tireless, meticulous work has lifted many a Victorian railway structure, myself included, out of "The Morbs" created by @NationalHways' infill programme.

@NationalHways' petty refusal of his FOI request is an insult to us all.

[Graeme Bickerdike @GraemBickerdike]

Exposing @NationalHways assault on our valuable @theHREgroup assets has demanded time, energy and determination.
This defamatory personal attack, published in rebuttal of an FoI request, reveals much about the company’s culture.
It will not be challenged.
https://t.co/MTpAVZXrMU

[Graeme Bickerdike @GraemBickerdike]

Exposing @NationalHways assault on our valuable @theHREgroup assets has demanded time, energy and determination.
This defamatory personal attack, published in rebuttal of an FoI request, reveals much about the company’s culture.
It will not be challenged.
https://t.co/MTpAVZXrMU

[Graeme Bickerdike @GraemBickerdike]

@RLJ63 @NationalHways @theHREgroup They know that every bit of evidence they're forced to release further exposes their failings. That probably *does* distress them.

[Matthew Marks @MatthewMarks42]

@theHREgroup @GraemBickerdike @NationalHways There is public interest in this information. A huge amount of taxpayers' money has been expended on a project which damages a historical structure and the prospects for active travel, for unconvincing reasons. I have therefore submitted the same request.