Best foot forward for new pedestrian river crossing

A new walkway – part of our £9 million access bridge project near Saltford water recycling centre – is linking villages on both sides of the River Avon.

The new footway, part of the £9 million access bridge to and from Saltford Water Recycling Centre, will provide a new pedestrian route across the River Avon — The new footway, part of the £9 million access bridge to and from Saltford water recycling centre, will provide a new pedestrian route across the River Avon.

Saltford and Bitton joined forces to help officially open a new pedestrian route linking the two communities.

Villagers and Wessex Water staff crossed the footway over the River Avon for the first time as part of a ceremony marking the completion of the company's £9 million access bridge project.

Bitton Parish Council member, Cllr Kim Scudamore, cuts the ribbon on the Bitton side of the new footway during last week's ceremony — Bitton Parish Council member, Cllr Kim Scudamore, cuts the ribbon on the Bitton side of the new footway.

Project purpose

The pedestrian crossing has been built adjacent to the main access road across the river, which allows travel to and from Saltford's water recycling centre via the A431 and has been used by site traffic since February 2024.

The Mead Lane centre on the Saltford side of the river is being expanded as part of a £35 million investment by Wessex Water to ensure it can keep pace with the treatment demands from an expanding population in Bath and surrounding areas. That project is expected to be complete by 2026.

Thanks to the addition of the footway element of the bridge, pedestrians will also be able to link up with walking routes on either side of the river, providing a welcome link between the two villages in the process.

Saltford Parish Council chair, Cllr Jon Godfrey, cuts the ribbon on the Saltford side of the new footway.

Opening day

Members of the parish councils representing Saltford and Bitton, ward members and local residents joined Wessex Water chief executive Colin Skellett and other senior, project and operations staff for the first walk across it and to take part in an official opening ceremony on each side.

Colin Skellett said: "I'm delighted that representatives of Saltford and Bitton were able to join us to open this important footway across the River Avon.

"The access bridge as a whole has been a milestone project as part of our wider work to expand Saltford water recycling centre, providing a route to the site that linked to the A431 and reduces the use of narrow lanes locally by heavy goods traffic. It will also be used by our staff travelling to and from the site in the future.

"Providing wider community benefits is also a vital part of the work we do and we hope this footway can help provide an important pedestrian link between the two communities on each side of the river, with the potential to connect to existing rights of way networks and waterside activities.”

Wessex Water project manager Kelvin Brick added: "We're pleased to finally be able to open the footway crossing so that it is available for use by the public. Our team have worked hard to ensure the footway is safe, secure and ready for use, alongside the existing traffic crossing.

"While the water recycling centre expansion is a hugely important project to make sure we continue to meet local demand and maintain the highest water treatment standards, there is much more to it.

"Work on the bridge and water recycling centre is also providing a significant biodiversity net gain of more than 10 per cent, with around 5,000 trees and shrubs planted and ground reinstated around the bridge."

Wessex Water chief executive Colin Skellett speak during the ceremony to open the pedestrian footway across the River Avon.

What else have we done?

Further ecological work has also taken place near the bridge, with an embankment, landscaped to provide for planting of new native woodland, grassland, and native hedgerow and three ponds designed to provide a wetland habitat.

Saltford Parish Council chair, Cllr Jon Godfrey, said: "We've been following with a lot of interest what Wessex Water have been doing here and we're big supporters. It's an important infrastructure investment for the area.

"(They) haven't just built a bridge, but developed an ecologically sensitive area, which is in Green Belt so has to be done with great care, and there is a lot that Wessex Water has added to the environment as well as building an important addition to the infrastructure.

"Walking along the river is an important amenity to the residents of Saltford and the other factor is the reduction in heavy goods traffic through a conservation area and past listed buildings and very narrow streets so that will be really significant for the residents of Saltford."