IT is a “Herculean task” but the Friends of Alton Station have determined not only to raise the £450,000 needed to restore the heritage footbridge at Alton station but also to take ownership.

Having received confirmation from Network Rail that the bridge will be removed in April 2018, Friends of Alton Station has a year in which to rally the support and funding it needs to save the bridge, and with two experienced civil engineers on board and an out-of-the-blue £60,000 pledge from a resident to boost their morale and their fundraising appeal, members are determined to succeed.

Facing the axe from Network Rail after it was found to be in need of full repair and restoration, Alton’s Victorian structure is thought to be the only surviving example of a wooden footbridge, free-standing over a working railway, anywhere in the UK.

Installed in 1892 by the London and South Western Railway, the bridge is considered key to preserving the integrity of the town’s Victorian railway station.

Driving the campaign to Save Alton’s Historic Footbridge, the Friends of Alton Station was established in 2014 to lobby for and oversee improvements and conservation of the station.

Following the installation in 2013 of a new footbridge, Network Rail was set to remove the old bridge when Friends of Alton Station stepped in to save what it considered part of Alton’s architectural heritage.

Having raised en e-petition to save the bridge, Friends of Alton Station chairman Stephen Lewis said: “After a number of surveys, and the closure of the bridge to the public, Network Rail have decided that they are not able to spend money restoring the bridge. However, they are willing to offer their budgeted removal costs of £250,000 to the pot if we are able to find other funding.”

And this, confirmed Mr Lewis, is still the case.

But while Network Rail’s estimated cost for restoration is in the region of £750,000, which it has deemed “too expensive”, following its own commissioned professional structural engineering report, written jointly by recently retired civil engineer Paul Ebbutt and Integral Engineering Design, it has become clear to Friends of Alton Station that there could be other, less expensive, alternative solutions.

At an electors’ meeting, Mr Ebbutt confirmed that while there was quite a bit of deterioration to the tressels, due to long-term neglect, the main structure of the bridge remains in relatively good condition. He further pointed out that when the bridge was built in 1892 it was an open-timber structure through which the wind could pass. However, when the roof and panelling were added, as a means of weather proofing, the structure had become more vulnerable to pressure from wind, snow and rain and this, together with the additional loading, had challenged its stability.

One option, therefore, was to remove the panelling and/or to reinforce the structure with a metal frame. And this, he suggested, would not cost as much as the Network Rail estimation, which he considered to be “over-egged”.

With the April ultimatum in place the urgency of the situation has clarified a way forward for Friends of Alton Station members who, together with Paul Ebbutt, a retired Transport for London railway and structural engineer, Alan Hayward, an experienced and highly-regarded bridge engineer, timber expert Gary Appleton and draftsman Stephen Lewis, are starting the process of planning how the footbridge can be restored.

The Friends of Alton Station management committee has also decided to take the step of registering as a charitable incorporated organisation.

Mr Lewissaid: “This will create an independent legal entity that can take ownership of the footbridge while the charitable status will allow us to claim back gift aid when we receive donations. There will shortly be a notice of a special general meeting where we will be asking members to support this change.”

Once the new charity is established, Friends of Alton Station will launch a national campaign to raise funds, which is expected to include crowd funding.

In the meantime, Mr Lewis has written to inform Network Rail of the decision by Friends of Alton Station to take on the project to restore the bridge and is asking for its help in achieving this goal.

Mr Lewis said: “Network Rail has concerns over the ongoing costs and public safety, so a deal will need to be struck that will be beneficial for all.”

He has also stressed the importance of the footbridge to Alton as part of the Mid-Hants Watercress heritage railway experience and of its key role in preserving the historic integrity of the Victorian station.

“We still await the result of the listing review, but we have decided to push on with plans to save the footbridge to secure it for future generations to enjoy.”