Bakewell love locks removal plan postponed for at least a year

Campaigners have said they are pleased plans to remove about 10,000 love locks from a footbridge will not be carried out for at least another year.

Thousands of people have hung the padlocks on Weir Bridge, in Bakewell, Derbyshire, over the past decade.

Derbyshire County Council said it wanted to remove them to carry out maintenance work but has now paused the scheme.

Richard Young, who wants to save the locks, said the delay was good news.

Mr Young, a retired Bakewell businessman who has set up a Facebook page to campaign for the locks to remain in the town, said: "The delay gives us time to plan what we can do.

"If the council is adamant the locks are coming off the bridge and won't be going back on, we plan to talk to them about having a place nearby - perhaps a heart-shaped structure - where people can hang the locks.

"We do understand the need for maintenance on the bridge but some of the locks have huge sentimental value."

Mr Young said the locks - which he believes number around 10,000 - have been placed on the bridge by people from across the world to celebrate their love or remember someone they have lost.

"There are locks from people who have lost children or parents on there - it's heartbreaking," he said.

He said the bridge, which crosses the River Wye, had become known as the Bakewell Love Locks Bridge.

"It's like a free tourist attraction," he added.

Couple Josh and Leah only met in July 2021 but recently came to Bakewell to place a lock on the bridge.

Josh said: "We heard about the bridge and we think it's a beautiful way to cement our love forever.

"I wished that they wouldn't take them all off. It's a tragedy because the idea of the lock is that it stays fastened forever. The council is doing everyone a disservice really."

In a statement, the council said: "We need to carry out some routine maintenance on the bridge and would need to remove the locks to do this work.

"However while the work is needed, it is not urgent and won't take place until 2023.

"We will need to work up plans for what we do with the locks, but this won't happen until nearer the time, when we would give people the chance to collect their locks."

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].