A PROTESTOR who spent 24 hours on Winnington Swing Bridge says that he was ‘taken aback’ by the level of public support that he received.

Lee Siddall, who founded the Winnington and Castle Residents Voice group, decided to protest over the weekend to highlight both the importance of the vital connection between Winnington and Barnton and the need for a new bridge.

He was visited by a number of well-wishers throughout the day and was also pleased to chat with Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury.

And Lee says that he was glad to raise the prominence of the issue and intends to keep the pressure on local decision makers.

“The protest went really well, despite the rain and the cold, and a lot of people came to visit me bearing food, tea and coffee,” he said.

Northwich Guardian:

“I don’t think I’d ever eaten as well in my life, and I was really taken aback by the amount of community support.

“Residents of both Weaver Vale and Tatton have been campaigning for years for a new bridge, and I have written to both Mike Amesbury and Tatton MP Esther McVey thanking them for their support.

“I am also encouraging them to push for a weight limit on this vital commuter artery to protect it from further damage.

“The bridge will be out of action due to repairs next month and this could cost lives due to the extra time emergency services will take in order to navigate around it.”

For Lee and other residents, the ailing infrastructure in the area is a real concern, especially with 2,800 houses in the process of being build and another 1,200 at Winnington Works in the pipeline.

“This one-way bridge is unfortunately no longer fit for purpose, and it should only be used for light traffic and to retain Northwich’s heritage,” he continued.

Northwich Guardian:

“I’m really pleased that Mike Amesbury came down to visit. I had a good chat with him and I asked him to keep working towards building a new bridge.

“It’s good to see that he is supportive of what we are trying to do and that he realises the scale of the issue once the bridge closes for repairs.

“The protest was completely worth doing, but there is still a lot of work to be done to keep up the fight for a new bridge.

“I was happy to highlight the issue on BBC North West Tonight and to keep up the pressure on our local politicians.”

Lee has also started a petition for a new bridge, which already has almost 1,000 signatures and can be signed at bit.ly/3a9kzTL.