DIVERS who carried out underwater inspections on the main bridges over the River Ouse have given them the all-clear.

The inspections were carried out in the wake of the 2015 floods to check for signs of ‘scour’ - the phenomenon which undermined Tadcaster Bridge and contributed to its partial collapse.

Documents obtained by The Press from the city council under the Freedom of Information Act have shown inspections of Ouse Bridge, Lendal Bridge, Skeldergate Bridge, Rawcliffe Ings Bridge and Clifton Bridge revealed they are safe.

Ouse, Lendal, Skeldergate and Rawcliffe Ings bridges were all described as being in a ‘fair’ condition, while Clifton was said to be ‘good’.

This is a relief. The bridges are all heavily used, and it is good to know they are not going to collapse any time soon. What we don’t understand is why the council has still taken no substantive action to repair the Blue Bridge over the River Foss.

As we reported in July, a report dated October 2016 concluded that the foot and cycle bridge was in ‘very poor condition’ and required immediate attention. The report identified rotting timber and loose beams, and said £15,000 should be spent on replacing deck timbers. That was almost a year ago, yet the bridge’s deck timbers have still not been replaced.

The council stressed in July that it had ‘no concerns about the safety of the bridge’. We accept that. But since experts said the bridge needed immediate work, it seems odd the council should have chosen to carry cosmetic resurfacing of the New Walk footpath first. We’d like to see the Blue Bridge dealt with as soon as practically possible.