Royal Mail to seek ways to help villagers with no bridge

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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THE Royal Mail is to contact the occupiers of four cottages who have been without a normal postal delivery service for nearly a year, following the closure on safety grounds of a suspension footbridge at Ettrickbridge.

Last week, TheSouthern revealed that the footbridge, which connects the main village settlement to the four cottages on the other side of the Ettrick Water, was still closed.

The decision to prevent pedestrians using the bridge was taken last summer by owners Buccleuch Estates on safety grounds after some of the wooden decking rotted away.

Although there is alternative access for the four properties in the area known as Brockhill, it involves a walk or drive of more than three miles along an unmetalled track. The residents have also had to put up with difficulties caused by their garages being on the other side of the bridge from their homes.
As well as that, normal mail deliveries had to be altered after postal workers could no longer use the bridge. A Royal Mail spokesperson said the track was unsuitable for vehicle deliveries as it involved "going through fields of livestock".

However, the organisation says it intends getting in touch with the residents of the cut-off cottages. "The four customers continue to receive mail through a temporary arrangement following serious health and safety issues highlighted at this area last year," said the spokesperson.

"The local delivery office manager will contact all customers affected to discuss the various options that can be considered in the interim period."

Ettrick and Yarrow Community Council secretary Dr Alison Maguire says she believes Buccleuch Estates definitely wants to repair the bridge as soon as possible.
"I know Buccleuch Estates is very concerned about the situation and does want to get the bridge repaired but I believe there are problems in accessing funding for the work," she told TheSouthern.

"At the recent community council meeting I was asked to write to Buccleuch Estates and see if the community council can help with any applications for funding assistance, as we thought it might make it easier to access monies if the council was involved."

[Lounge Lizard]

Buccleuch Group companies embrace the corporate business interests of the Buccleuch Family.
The parent company is the Buccleuch Estates Limited, which is chaired by Duke Richard, the 10th Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, KBE. He succeeded his father who died in September 2007.

The range of businesses within the Group goes well beyond those of a traditional rural estate. It includes:-

Commercial Property Investment and Development
House Building
Rural Land Management
Rural Building Design, Conversion and Project Management
Animal Health and Nutrition and Farm and Equestrian Supplies
Wholesale Tree Nursery
Meat and Food Products
Bio Energy
Fallen Stock
And a number of businesses concerned principally with the management, maintenance and improvement of the significant heritage Scottish Estates (Bowhill, Queensberry, Dalkeith and Langholm) and Boughton Estate, Northamptonshire. The businesses include:-

Estate Management
Sporting - Shooting, Stalking, Gundogs, Fishing
Woodland Management and Timber Production
Farm Management
Visitor Attractions - Historic Houses, Castles and Parklands, Cycling, Mushing
Rural Building Design
All the businesses are run in an integrated way to the highest professional and ethical standards.

Joint ventures are a growing feature of Group activity and the Group welcomes opportunities to develop its businesses.


and they can't find the money to repair a footbridge ?

[DGP1]

A Royal Mail spokesperson said the track was unsuitable for vehicle deliveries as it involved "going through fields of livestock".

I've delivered along lanes like this, so can I now tell my DOM that the lanes are unsafe to drive along