National Highways committed 'corporate vandalism' when it poured hundreds of ... trends now

'Corporate vandalism' was committed by National Highways when it poured hundreds of tonnes of concrete under a historic railway bridge, a Planning Inquiry heard today.

The 98-year-old structure was infilled after the government agency claimed it was at risk of collapse.

But furious locals claim the work in Congham, Norfolk, has wrecked a heritage asset to save money, instead of using a more sympathetic method.

The case is the latest involving an impassioned campaign to save a much-loved railway bridge. Last year National Highways was forced to remove concrete from a railway bridge in Cumbria after an outcry.

Among the 363 objections to the infilling in Congham – compared to just five people in favour – was a statement from Lindsay Beare, who said: 'Immediate removal of the infill must be made, irrespective of cost.

'Corporate vandalism must not be allowed to prevail over the beauty of the English countryside for the expediency of lazy management.'

Other objectors railed against the 'desecration of a piece of architecture, purely because Highways England [as the agency was formerly known] want to save money' and warned the practice of infilling bridges was creating a 'gross uglification of the countryside'.

The bridge was built in 1926 to the design of Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway's pioneering engineer William Marriott and is a rare survivor of crossings made from precast concrete components.

The bitter dispute broke out in 2021 when concrete and stone was set under the arch using permitted development rights which, in the case of emergency works, can only be in place for up to 12 months.

National Highways applied for retrospective planning permission from West Norfolk Council in October last year.

This was refused unanimously by the council's planning committee and an enforcement notice was issued for the bridge to be restored to

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