Councillors in Cumbria have ruled that hundreds of tons of concrete poured under a Victorian railway bridge will have to be removed by next October.

National Highways carried out the work at Great Musgrave, Cumbria, last year as it said the structure was unstable.

However, Eden District Council refused retrospective planning permission in June and the BBC reports it has now served an enforcement notice.

The bridge, built in 1862, was infilled in July 2021 with National Highways arguing it could collapse if used by heavy vehicles.

The bridge, built in 1862, was infilled in July 2021 with NH arguing it could collapse if used by heavy vehicles.

The concrete was then grassed over, but more than 800 people lodged objections with critics warning it was “cultural vandalism”.

(Picture – Historic Railways Estate)