Thursday 6 October 2022 10:04 AM Highways England is ordered to remove concrete it poured under bridge trends now Highways England is ordered to remove thousands of tons of CONCRETE it poured into arch under 159-year-old Victorian railway bridge before grassing it over rather than repairing it - after council accused it of 'cultural vandalism' National Highways prompted anger last year by hiring workmen to infill structure in Great Musgrave, Cumbria Angered heritage campaigners and stopped path under bridge from being developed for walkers and cyclists Eden District Council refused retrospective planning permission and has now served an enforcement notice By Rory Tingle, Home Affairs Correspondent For Mailonline Published: 09:59 BST, 6 October 2022 | Updated: 09:59 BST, 6 October 2022 Viewcomments Advertisement Hundreds of tonnes of concrete poured under a 160-year-old Victorian railway bridge in what campaigners called an 'act of vandalism' must be removed by next October, councillors have decided. National Highways (NH) prompted an outcry last year by hiring workmen to infill the single-arch structure in Great Musgrave, Cumbria, after claiming it was unstable and could collapse. The work left an unsightly mess, and although the concrete was later grassed over it obscured the original structure and stopped the path under the bridge from being developed for walkers and cyclists. Eden District Council refused retrospective planning permission for the work in June and has now served an enforcement notice, with NH saying it would abide by the order. Railway campaigners have criticised Highways England after it filled in a historic railway bridge with concrete. Pictured: the bridge at Great Musgrave in Cumbria after being infilled by the Government body which has cited safety reasons for the work Pictured: Great Musgrave bridge in Cumbria pictured before being infilled by Highways England The council issued the enforcement notice after reaching the end of a period during which NH could appeal against the refusal of its retrospective application, the BBC reported. A council spokesman said it would be effective from October 11, saying: 'This means remedial works must be completed within 12 months of this date - to remove all infilling and to restore the bridge and surrounding landscape to their condition prior to the unauthorised works being carried out.' Graeme Bickerdike, of the Historical Railways Estate(HRE) group - which looks after 3,200 historic railway structures - described the move as 'good news'. He previously described the decision infill the bridge as 'scandalous'. The original work on the bridge, constructed in 1862, cost taxpayer-funded NHS an estimated £124,000 while £431,000 has been allocated for the removal works. The Eden Valley railway and Stainmore railways, which run north and south of the bridge, had long hoped to unite their tracks to attract tourists. Campaigners branded the project a 'scandalous wrecking ball' and claimed it would effectively destroy any chances of turning the bridge (pictured) into a greenway - pieces of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle traffic Highways England have said work they have done will preserve the structure and can be reversed in the future if necessary Highways England, as National Highways was previously called, had said infilling was needed to 'prevent further deterioration of the bridge from occurring and remove the associated risk of structural collapse and harm to the public'. But documents obtained by the two railways reveal inspectors had no concerns about the bridge's condition. They added that £5,000 worth of work would have increased its capacity to 40 tonnes and made it safe for any vehicle to pass over - while infilling cost a whopping £124,000. The bridge was one of 134 sites slated for demolition or infilling around the country. The UK's developing network of foot and cycle routes has brought new life to many old railways over the past 50 years. Pictured: The 159 year old bridge which has been infilled with stone as part of a strategy for maintaining the roadway Pictured: Great Musgrave bridge in Cumbria pictured during being infilled by Highways England contractors Read more: Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility