A bridge law too far

Written by MK News on Wed 15th Aug 2007

Council plans to ban jumpers held up - now angry residents are demanding action

Youngsters are still allowed to jump off a bridge into the River Ouse, nearly a year after the council applied for a ban to stop them.

Action demand: Cllr Sam Potts on Tyringham BridgeTyringham residents say the bridge is attracting anti-social behaviour from youngsters who congregate there to jump off it throughout the summer holidays.

Milton Keynes Council decided to pass a by-law to prevent people from swimming under and diving from Tyringham Bridge in September last year.

By January the papers had been signed and sealed to ensure the ban was in place by the summer.

Now, eleven months on, ward Cllr Sam Potts says he is livid that it has taken so long.

He said: "There are kids drinking, swearing at local residents, being abusive, even threats of physical violence.

Jumping off the bridge is also very unsafe.

"The Government has failed to sign off the by-law.

"It should only take a few months, maximum. We deliberately started it in September because we hoped to get it in place by January or February, well in time for the summer holidays."

He has drafted a question for Cllr Irene Henderson, cabinet member with responsibility for crime, asking her what pressure she plans to put on the Government.

A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government, which deals with by-laws, said: "The application and draft by-law submitted by MK Council raised a number of legal and drafting issues which, in our role as confirming authority, we are bound to pursue with the council. Bylaws introduce a criminal offence. It is therefore right that they should be legally sound. We raised these matters with the council in a letter onJune 8.

"The council acknowledged this letter, and we await the council's substantive response."