Nottinghamshire County Council is seeking formal access rights beneath Lady Bay Bridge so it can carry out its repair and maintenance responsibilities.
A council report dated 24 July recommends entering into a deed of easement with Nottingham City Council covering ground-level strips and airspace beneath the bridge and around its arches.
Ownership of Lady Bay Bridge is divided between the city and county councils. The land over which the proposed access rights would be granted is owned by Nottingham City Council.
The two authorities entered into an agreement on 23 September 2003 covering the management and funding of bridges that cross their administrative boundary. Under that agreement, the cost of maintaining and repairing Lady Bay Bridge already rests with Nottinghamshire County Council.
However, the county council requires a formal easement allowing it to enter the city council’s land to undertake that work.
The report says that, without the agreement, the county council would have no right of access to fulfil its maintenance responsibilities, which could create health and safety concerns.
Heads of terms were agreed by the two councils on 24 April 2024. The detailed terms have been placed in a confidential appendix because the authorities say their publication could damage the county council’s commercial position.
Completion of the easement is also holding up a Nottingham City Council lease to the current user of part of the land, although neither the identity of the user nor the nature of the lease is disclosed in the published report.
The arrangement is expected to fall away following local government reorganisation and the creation of new unitary authorities. However, council officers say it is still needed in the meantime to allow the county council to carry out its existing responsibilities and enable the city council’s proposed lease to be completed.
