30th November 2009
Residents at Monday night’s Old Kilpatrick Community Council meeting have called for safety measures on the Erskine Bridge to be upgraded following recent suicides.
Transport Scotland, AMEY and Strathclyde Police, along with MSPs Des McNulty and Trish Godman joined residents and Councillors from both West Dunbartonshire and Renfrew to discuss the various options to improve safety and discourage further suicides from the bridge.
MSP Des McNulty told the meeting that this is not a new problem but it was important to do everything possible to discourage suicides off the bridge and improve safety measures. Trish Godman confirmed she and Mr McNulty have a meeting arranged with the First Minister on 3 December and informed the meeting she wants a guarantee in writing that the money required to improve safety measures will be available.
Residents spoke of the distress when they hear the sound of a helicopter hovering over the bridge and the effect it is having on their community, with fifteen people completing suicide in the last five years.
Transport Scotland are looking at various options including extending the height of the fence across the bridge, and have confirmed that they have designated the task of extending the barriers to AMEY.
Transport Scotland has also instructed AMEY to proceed with a prototype parapet of increased height onto the existing fence. This is a complex process and will include extensive testing to ensure its effectiveness against being climbed, wind tunnel testing and analysis to determine any adverse effect on the aerodynamic behaviour of the bridge.
Transport Scotland Chief Engineer, Bill Valentine said: “The meeting was very helpful and there were many valid points raised. We are currently looking at a number of options, but it’s important to remember whatever modifications are made to improve safety on the bridge would need to undergo extensive testing to ensure they did not affect the operational use of the bridge.”
Residents were also told at the meeting that from sourcing the correct modification to the tendering process could take approximately one year.
Cllr William Hendrie, Convenor for Housing, Environmental and Economic Services said: “It was clear at the meeting the distress residents feel and the unanimous call for urgent improved safety measures on the bridge.
He continued: “Every viable option must be investigated to do what we can to reduce the suicides and ensure residents of Old Kilpatrick no longer have endure the stress they are currently experiencing.”
Many options were raised during the meeting including closing off the footpath to the public and have a shuttle bus to bus people over the bridge. 24hr security was also raised with the potential of having the bridge patrolled by security guards. One resident suggested lowering the bridge and bringing back the ferry.
West Dunbartonshire Council's Choose Life team working with partnership with Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS and Strathclyde Police are helping to raise awareness and promote strong resilience and resources to provide additional support to vulnerable people in West Dunbartonshire.
West Dunbartonshire Council have invested in suicide intervention programmes by producing a training plan to support trainers to deliver suicide intervention programmes across West Dunbartonshire. These include ASIST workshops, safeTALK workshops, Scottish Mental Health First Aid course, STORM training and Self Harm.
Choose Life also has information displayed on television screens in Health Centres and libraries across West Dunbartonshire.
