ONE hundred and seventy years ago, that great engineer, Brunel, brought the railway to Stonehouse.

While doing this and for the convenience of the local population, he built five bridges.

You will note that I wrote ‘for the convenience of the locals’.

It did not increase the profits of the railway company, indeed it cost them considerably more then if they had not.

Stonehouse History Group will tell you that Stonehouse was of little importance in the scheme of things in 1845, yet they built these bridges.

Stagholt, Oldend, Pearcroft and even Stonehouse High Street were just unmade dirt roads.

What shops we had were few and far between in 1845.

The Park Estate, Ryelands Road, Little Australia and the Maisonettes were years away and yet he built connecting bridges throughout the village.

Fast forward to January 12, 2016, and we are told that despite hundreds of homes being built next to Stonehouse, we do not need a bridge to replace Oldends barrier rail crossing.

Four excellent speeches from councillors did not sway the SDC to delay this project until a solution could be found.

Not for convenience but for safety’s sake.

How sad we do not have men like Brunel and his fellow Victorian engineers.

Men with vision and foresight who were not ruled by profit margins and their investors dividends.

Heaven help those children who have to cross the rail track on their way to Maidenhill or the factory workers making their way to Stonehouse High Street.

Gary Powell

Stonehouse