A Farnham eyesore has been transformed following intervention by Farnham Town Council.

Over recent years, the uncared for look of the rusted Firgrove Hill railway bridge has been the subject of many complaints by local residents. Farnham Town Council has been lobbying Network Rail for over two years in an attempt to get them to improve the visual appearance of the bridge.

Commenting Councillor Stephen Hill, Lead Member for Community Enhancement says: “Repainting the bridge has not been straightforward and this is partly because there is no footpath on one side. When we became aware of the planned closure of Firgrove Hill for resurfacing works, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to repaint the railway bridge. After further negotiation and with just two days left to take advantage of the road closure, we were very pleased to finally receive permission from Network Rail to carry out cosmetic painting. This will improve the look of the bridge in the period leading up to a major planned refurbishment by Network Rail.”

The work has been funded by Farnham Town Council with a contribution from Cllr Mrs Pat Frost from her Surrey County Council community enhancement fund.

Councillor Hill adds: “The bridge now looks much better and provides a far more welcoming approach into Farnham. This project was a very good example of how Farnham Town Council has listened to local concerns and stepped in to find a solution. I would like to thank everybody who has taken an interest and helped to resolve the problem and in particular Network Rail and Surrey County Council for their flexibility and allowing us to arrange for the bridge to be repainted.”

It is understood that Network Rail will be carrying out a major refurbishment of the bridge in 2017/18.

Firgrove bridge during repainting.