Inverkeithing footbridge 'could end up hot pink' if Network Rail doesn't finish job, says Fife councillor

A senior West Fife councillor has made a plea to Network Rail to “provide the paint” to finish off work at an Inverkeithing footbridge.

Councillor David Barratt has slammed recent refurbishment which has been carried out at the structure on Port Street.

He said the work had been completed with only part of the bridge being re-painted.

Speaking at a meeting of Fife Council’s South and West Area Committee, Cllr Barratt warned that the railway bridge could end up a “hot pink” colour if Network Rail does not act.

“A lot of locals are not at all happy at the state of it,” he said. “It is poor treatment of what is a listed building and pieces of important local heritage to paint 30 centimetres and just stop.

“It doesn’t feel respectful to our heritage and it feels counter-productive in terms of future maintenance. If rust is left, it will continue to rust in the future.

“Fife Council are obviously to blame for approving listed building consent with agreement to reduce the scope of the painting.

“It is a listed building. It is not a world heritage site but I cannot imagine you would paint the bottom third of the Forth Bridge red.

“I would not ask for exactly the same treatment but it merits a bit more respect of our heritage so I don’t know if anything more can be done in terms of pressing Network Rail to reconsider or facilitating others to do it.

“There’s plenty in the community that would be happy to get out a paint brush and a tin of paint.

“It is obviously accessible by the nature that they are pedestrian bridges so can you give us the paint please?”

Network Rail head of communications (Communities), David Boyce, acknowledged they had been undertaking “value engineering”.

“We deal with the essential – the integrity of the bridges are fine,” he told committee members.

“They have painted the bits they have repaired and there has been an efficiency.

“We have efficiency targets like everybody at the moment and that has meant some difficult choices.

“I am happy to take away the comments from this committee on the back of the comments you have received from the community themselves and press a point that there is an opportunity here.

“I cannot guarantee an outcome but I am happy to challenge it.”

Cllr Barratt said there was a “genuine reputational risk” for Network Rail.

He added: “Those bridges will end up being painted hot pink at the top if they aren’t painted by network rail in your grey – hot pink is the going colour of choice in Inverkeithing if we do not get it.

“It does merit being taken forward and I hope we can find a resolution to it.”