A councillor has admitted there was an “unacceptable delay” to install road signs telling the public about a bridge reduction which happened months before.

County councillor for highways and environment Phil Bibby said it was “fair to say the council had fallen short” to erect in good time the sign for the Orphanage Road railway bridge in Watford, notifying drivers the height of the bridge had been reduced.

The matter was first brought to the attention of the county council in August last year by Liberal Democrat district councillor for Leavesden ward, Stephen Giles-Medhurst, who feared high-sided vehicles could hit the bridge which carries the main railway from Euston.

Watford Observer:

The bridge had been reduced by Network Rail after a bridge and bar height restriction was introduced, reducing its height from 12ft 3in to 11ft 9in. Network Rail paid the county council to install the signage but five months after Cllr Giles-Medhurst had reported the signage issue nothing had been done.

Now the work is complete, Cllr Giles-Medhurst, said: “Whilst it is better late than never this shows the lazy attitude of the Conservative county council to such safety issues and its failure to sort things out when they are reported to them. Thank goodness we did not have a bridge strike."

Cllr Bibby said: “It is fair to say that the council have fallen short of our expected standards here.

“When Network Rail paid the council to change the signage, under our agreement, poor communication between the Finance Department and the responsible officers, meant that there was an unacceptable delay in the work being completed.

“Whilst this error is very much regretted, I would like to assure the public that their safety the council's number one priority, although in this instance, we do not believe safety was compromised, given that the bridge in question was not actually made lower, with Network Rail merely amending their measurement criteria.”