Plans to remove thousands of love locks from bridge in Bakewell postponed

Locals hope to use the time to negotiate a new structure to host the locks

Thousands of love locks have been locked onto the bridge since 2012 (Alamy)

Plans to remove thousands of love locks from a bridge in Bakewell, Derbyshire, have been postponed for at least a year, the council said.

Following a global tradition, people began locking “love locks” on Wye Bridge in Bakewell, now known as Love Lock Bridge, in 2012.

Over the past decade the bridge has become a free tourist attraction in the Peak District as people come to see the thousands of inscribed padlocks and add their own. Locals use the bridge to remember lost loved ones or celebrate their love.

In April this year, Derbyshire County Council announced it would be moving the locks, some with sentimental value, in order to conduct necessary maintenance work on the bridge, leaving those who added to the landmark disappointed.

However, in a statement last week, Derbyshire County Council said, while the work still needs to be done, it is not urgent and won’t begin until 2023.

It 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.”

The locks mean so much to every single one of us

Locals who began campaigning to save the locks, are pleased with the news, which will give them time to work with the council to potentially create a new structure to host the love locks while the maintenance work is carried out.

Writing in the Save the Love Locks at Bakewell Facebook, one woman wrote: “We placed our lock in memory of our baby daughter.

“We have such happy memories of little day trips to Bakewell with her, and each year on the anniversary, we visit and put a flower through the lock.

“I totally understand if the locks need to be moved for safety but I really hope that they can be moved to a permanent structure - this is currently the only dedicated place we have to visit, and although it such a small thing, it really does mean so much.”

Another said: “Everyone is praying they don’t remove them all.

“They mean so much to every single one of us that put one there for so many reasons.

“It will break our hearts and many more thousands if they do.”

Richard Young, who created the Facebook group, said he had “asked for a meeting with myself and the various authorities to work through all the options for the love locks.”

He told the BBC: “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.”