A Committee Resolution was agreed by North Wilts District Council last night (13 December 2004) to fund up to £20,000 to illuminate Brunel’s Western Arches. The District Council’s funding will match combined contributions from HPH Commercial Property, Network Rail and the Railway Heritage Trust. The lighting scheme will use white lights to enhance the columns outside the eight arches, and a contrasting off-white tint to the inside of each arch.
Although funding for the lighting scheme has been agreed, the final decision is still subject to final approval from Chippenham Town Council, which is yet to confirm that it will cover the annual running costs approximated to be between £1,000 and £2,000.
The project is part of a massive re-vamp of Brunel’s arches and the area at their base being carried out by a partnership between Wiltshire County Council, North Wilts District Council, Chippenham Town Council, Network Rail, the Railway Heritage Trust and Bewley House developers HPH Commercial Property.
Ross Henning, Mayor of Chippenham commented:
'I’m really pleased to see an excellent example of ‘partnership working’ coming to fruition for the floodlighting scheme at the Western Arches. I look forward, when in late Spring or early Summer the Western Arches will be lit up and become a focus for the town of Chippenham.'
David Weston, principle bridge engineer at Wiltshire County Council commented: “Wiltshire County Council will be carrying out extensive work to fill in the existing subway system and provide light controlled pedestrian crossings at street level. The work will cost £250,000.
'We are pleased to be able to join with so many partners to improve the area. The addition of floodlighting to the arches is a welcome enhancement to the scheme.'
Work on the underpass infilling will start in early January 2005, and is expected to last approximately four months. It is hoped that the viaduct floodlighting scheme will be up and running by early Summer 2005.
HPH Commercial Property, who are the present owners of Bewley House, and the current Dreams Bed Shop, Orwell House, which is about to be re-furbished, are contributing £20,000 towards new heritage street lighting, and £5,000 towards the agreed viaduct floodlighting scheme.
FUTURE OF FESTIVE LIGHTING SECURED AT CHIPPENHAM’S WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Floodlighting at Brunel’s Western Arches given green light by Partnership
