Repairs to stop a 400-year-old watermill from falling into a river are finally due to begin this month, following a three-year row over who is responsible for the work.

The project at Bungay staithe is to strengthen the bridge on which the town's former mill stands.

The crossing - over a culvert diverted off the Waveney which runs under the mill - has been closed to road traffic since January 2021, because of severe damage.

But the repair work has been held up by disputes over who is responsible, between the bridge's owner, Tim Child, and East Suffolk Council (ESC), which owns the beauty spot on the far side of the crossing, which can only be reached via the bridge.

Beccles & Bungay Journal: The crumbling and damaged blocked off second culvert The crumbling and damaged blocked off second culvert (Image: Bruno Brown)

PADDLEBOARDERS' PLAYGROUND

The mill area is popular with canoeists, paddleboarders and swimmers and Mr Child says the bridge damage was caused by an increase in the numbers of people flocking to the spot, especially since the pandemic.

The bridge provides the only access to the Riverside Centre, owned by Bungay Town Council, and a public car park, which is owned by ESC.

Mr Child, who has lived in the mill since 2010, says that at one stage, he recorded 600 crossings by vehicles in the space of a day, each putting further strain on the structure.

However, ESC says other factors have also weakened the structure, such as debris and rushing water during the 2020 Christmas floods which swept the region.

Mr Child strongly disputes this. He says an investigation by the Environment Agency in April 2021 found the damage had been caused by traffic.

He says the damage is to a culvert which has been closed since 2015, so the water - and any debris - only passes through a second channel.

The dividing wall between the two culverts is only 22in wide. It is this structure which is collapsing.

Should it give way, the bridge and the buildings above will also collapse.

Mr Child, who created popular 1980s and 1990s children's TV show Knightmare, has previously offered to sell the bridge to East Suffolk Council for £1 to resolve the matter.

The council declined, but has agreed to provide 30pc of the project's costs.

Beccles & Bungay Journal: Mr Child's home and the flats in the former mill which are at risk should the bridge collapseMr Child's home and the flats in the former mill which are at risk should the bridge collapse (Image: Bruno Brown)

LAST MINUTE DELAY

Even at this late stage, delays have continued.

Reinforcement work beneath the bridge was due to start on July 10.

But this was put back after another dispute over electrical wires which run across the bridge.

Mr Child said: "Because of the nature of these hazards my contracted repair team cannot get working access below the bridge until they have been made safe or removed."

Work is now due to start on July 24.

Beccles & Bungay Journal: The second culvert is which is damaged, the decaying 22 inch wide wall could collapseThe second culvert is which is damaged, the decaying 22 inch wide wall could collapse (Image: Bruno Brown)

READ MORE: Plans approved to restore historic former mill in the heart of the Broads

DEAL STILL HOLDS

Despite the years of dispute and recent setback, a deal still holds between Mr Child and the council.

"What broke the bridge was the crossing of canoeists and cars. We had 600 movements across the bridge a day. It was absurd," he said.

"I am fearful that even after the work is complete, it will be this which threatens the bridge structure again.

"I am keen to get the best deal possible for this for the community because this is just purely unsafe. If this dispute wasn’t so nasty it would be hilarious."

An ESC spokesman said: “We have been negotiating at length with the owner to agree the extent of repairs and the contribution various parties using the bridge should make towards the cost of repairs.

“The bridge gives access to various premises, including some council-owned land, while also providing, in part, structural support to a private residence.

“While East Suffolk Council does not see any purpose to changing the current ownership of the bridge, it has committed to funding 30pc for the required repairs, commensurate with its use of the structure.

“Based on the information provided, East Suffolk Council understands the damage to this privately owned bridge results from a combination of various impacts.

"These include water flow and flood surges, and associated debris impact, along with the fact that the bridge provides structural support to the adjoining property, and the various vehicular and foot traffic it carries.

"The nature and extent of past and ongoing inspection and maintenance is also very likely to be a contributory factor.”

READ MORE: 'Dangerous' bridge at town's popular footpath will not be replaced for another year

Beccles & Bungay Journal: Mr Child's bridge has been closed since January 2021Mr Child's bridge has been closed since January 2021 (Image: Bruno Brown)

TOWN'S POWERHOUSE

Bungay's Staithe, its watermill and maltings were once the centre of the town's economy.

Commercial activity in the area declined after the silting up of the Waveney in the early 1930s.

The mill’s water wheel and machinery were removed in the 1950s and the millstream grassed over a few years later.

Beccles & Bungay Journal: The second culvert has been bricked up so no water passes through itThe second culvert has been bricked up so no water passes through it (Image: Bruno Brown)

Beccles & Bungay Journal: The open culvert where water passes underneath Mr Child's home and the bridgeThe open culvert where water passes underneath Mr Child's home and the bridge (Image: Bruno Brown)