Member Article

PLANS BY NEWCASTLE ARCHITECTS FOR YARM SCHOOL’S NEW FOOTBRIDGE APPROVED

Plans by Newcastle architects Pod for a new footbridge spanning the River Tees at Yarm School have been approved, with construction work on the project expected to begin imminently.

The proposed wooden footbridge will provide hundreds of pupils with quick and safe access to the nearby sports fields, which are located on the other side of the river to the school.

The construction is expected to remove unnecessary bus journeys for the pupils, saving them time between lessons and helping to support the sports curriculum.

Set within a conservation area, Pod’s plans for the footbridge incorporate a low-profile timber truss girder spanning 36m. Enough clearance will be built in to allow the river cruiser ‘Teesside Princess’ and other boats to pass safely underneath even at high tide.

A key design will see carefully constructed ramps to avoid existing tree positions and associated root protection areas while tying in with existing public rights of way.

The news is the culmination of more than six years of hard work by Toffee Factory-based Pod, which has worked closely with client Yarm School on designs for the much needed bridge.

Pod director Ruth Van Bedaf said: “Working closely with the client, we have developed an effective yet sympathetic design solution, which respects the local environment and meets the existing needs of the pupils and the long-term development of the school.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Pod .