A parish council and MP have called for the Environment Agency to speed up repairs on Temple footbridge after walkers were ‘clipped by car wing mirrors’ on a diversion route.

Temple Bridge, which connects Marlow with Hurley in Berkshire just upstream of Temple Lock, was closed by the Environment Agency (EA) in May 2023 after safety concerns.

The department completed an assessment of the bridge last year, with specialists reportedly telling them there was “no way” to safely open it for pedestrians in the short term.

With a spokesperson reiterating the still “unsafe” nature of the structure, local authorities have become frustrated with what they view as slow progress in fixing the ‘well-used’ walkway that makes up part of the Thames Path.

Councillors on Bisham Parish Council, based near the bridge on Marlow Road, have been outspoken in the past about the risks posed by a “dangerous” diversion via Temple Lane, Marlow Road and Bisham Road, and a representative repeated such concerns this week.

Telling the Free Press that they were “very disappointed” in the ongoing delays to the repair project, a spokesperson for the council added: “The Thames Path is a well-used and busy walkway – the diversion through Temple and Bisham creates problems because Temple Lane is too narrow for two cars to pass but still carries the national speed limit.

“This puts walkers at risk, and we have had reports of some being clipped by wing mirrors.

“Bisham Road is also a very busy route and the footpath through Bisham is narrow, with the hedges often overgrown in the summer.

“We hope the Environment Agency has a rethink and places a higher priority on the bridge repairs.”

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Newly-elected Lib Dem MP for Maidenhead, Joshua Reynolds, also wrote a letter to the EA on August 13, questioning the timeframe of repairs to a structure that is “at the heart of Hurley village”.

Mr Reynolds said: “The bridge has already caused significant disruption to residents who now have to complete a 4.1-mile-long diversion route to get to the other side.

“I’m concerned (about an) investigation not beginning until September and the extended period of time any repairs will take after that.”

He requested a discussion with the EA around “what we can do to speed up work on the bridge and help to reassure residents of the completion of future repairs”.

An EA spokesperson said: “Temple Bridge is coming to the end of its design life and certain structural elements have now decayed, making it unsafe.

“We are assessing the full extent of the works, but unfortunately some of the structural elements cannot easily be replaced.

“We apologise for any inconvenience the closure has causes, but this was necessary for public safety.”

The department has, however, agreed to “look into providing a shorter diversion through private land” – depending on securing the landowners’ consent and affordability.