ENGLISH Heritage’s proposals for a new footbridge at Tintagel Castle has been approved by Cornwall Council’s Strategic Planning committee, subject to the Secretary of State, Sajid Javid, endorsing their decision.

Explaining their decision, Cornwall Council released the following statement: “Planning application PA17/05087 for the construction of a pedestrian footbridge between the mainland and island wards of Tintagel Castle and associated footpath improvements was approved, with 13 votes for and two against, by members of Cornwall Council’s Strategic Planning Committee at their meeting on October 26.

“However, the Secretary of State has requested that a decision notice is not issued until he has had sufficient time to consider whether to call in the application for his own determination.

“Members took into account a range of issues and representations from the public and stakeholders before coming to their decision. The issues considered included the public benefits of improved safety and accessibility of a unique historic site of high significance in Cornwall, nationally and internationally, and potential impacts to ecology, landscape, heritage, archaeology, geology and highways.”

The dramatic footbridge, which would span the gap between the castle’s mainland and island wards, has been designed to follow the path of the original crossing between the mainland and headland.

English Heritage believe that the proposed footbridge would also help reduce congestion and improve access around the site, especially during peak periods.

The design team — Ney and Partners with William Matthews Associates — was chosen in March 2016 following an international competition, which saw entries from 137 architects and engineers. Ahead of submitting the planning application, English Heritage conducted an extensive programme of consultation to seek views on the proposals.

English Heritage’s historic properties director for the west, Liz Page, said: “We are delighted by the decision of Cornwall Council’s strategic planning committee, and we very much hope the Secretary of State will endorse the committee’s decision.

“The footbridge is an exciting and necessary addition to the site which will improve access, enjoyment and understanding of Tintagel Castle. Tintagel Parish Council supports this bridge, as do the Cornish Buildings Group, the Cornwall Archaeological Society, and Visit Cornwall, and we are grateful for their support and the support of others.

“The bridge will follow the original crossing between the mainland and island, help us to manage the pressure of visitors, and provide better access onto the island. Combined with the new footpaths, the bridge will also help us to protect important archaeological remains. The bridge has been designed to be an object of beauty, sensitively balanced with the surrounding landscape.”

At a height of roughly 55 metres above sea level, the proposed bridge consists of two independent cantilevers, each more than 30 metres in length, reaching out and touching, almost, in the middle. At the centre, a narrow gap between the cantilevers has been designed to offer visitors a sense of transition between the mainland and the island, the present and the past, as they step into the mysterious past that makes Tintagel so special.

Twelfth century writer, Geoffrey of Monmouth, wrote that the original land bridge to the island was so slight that ‘three men shall be able to defend against the whole power of the kingdom’, and the bridge has been designed to be as slight as possible in order to reflect this historical land bridge and have the least possible impact in the landscape. The width of the bridge is just three-metres, and this has been subjected to intensive wind-tunnel testing to ensure it can resist the strong winds the North Cornwall coast regularly experiences.

The proposed bridge uses materials designed to be simple, durable, and appropriate to the context of the site, with a main structure in steel, handrails in oak and a deck surface made from Delabole slate.

The slate deck would be interspersed with a pattern of quartzite tiles, designed to reflect the quartz intrusions seen on the Tintagel cliffs and the quartzite boulders that adorn the tops of the Cornish hedges in the area.

The bridge is part of a larger programme of landscape works, costing a total of around £4-million. The programme of landscape works — which has also been considered as part of the planning application — would seek to improve the footpaths around the site, working with the proposed bridge to create step-free access to the castle’s island and limit the impact of visitors on Tintagel Castle’s unique archaeology and ecology.

However, the group Kernow Matters to You were left dismayed by the decision and said: “A sad day as Cornwall Council has approved plans to build a huge new bridge between the mainland and the historic site of Tintagel Castle.The vote was 13 for and two against.

“There has been massive and widespread objection to the expensive scheme including from ‘Kernow Matters’ who were joined by senior councillors and countless archaeologists in stating that this adds to the ‘Disneyfication’ of one of Cornwall’s treasured archaeological sites. Opponents of the £4-million project say it will damage an area of outstanding natural beauty.

“Our objections submitted via the Cornwall Council Planning Portal are as follows: The material and construction is not in keeping with an historic site; The design is not in keeping with that of an historic bridge on this historic site; The resulting construction will massively and negatively impact on the visual aspect and disproportionately alter our iconic heritage; This is causing Tintagel castle to be changed from an historic site to a cash cow theme park and is insulting in the extreme; English Heritage would be first to object if this was attempted on someone else’s historic site; This is not English Heritage, it is Cornish with the Cornish people being a National Minority Grouping now legally recognised.”

The group has written a letter to Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall, urging him to call an ‘immediate halt’ to the plans.