FOI_25-238 Mathematical Bridge repairs and accessibility

Date of response: 03 September 2025

We have now considered your request of 07 August 2025 for the following information:

To the issue of the UEA mathematical bridge, the decision to replace a previously accessible bridge with a deliberately inaccessible one, without any transparent impact assessment or evidence of serious mitigation efforts, raises legitimate concerns about non-compliance with both duties.

I would therefore be grateful if you could confirm the following:

Question 1. Whether an Equality Impact Assessment or similar accessibility appraisal was undertaken before the bridge design and construction, and if so, whether it can be shared.

Our response:

On this occasion it is not possible to provide any of the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any recorded information for whether an Equality Impact Assessment or similar accessibility appraisal was undertaken before the bridge design and construction. The University do not have any such documentation in relation to the Mathematical Bridge restructure.

Question 2. What alternative designs were considered to ensure step-free access, and why were these rejected?

Our response:

On this occasion it is not possible to provide any of the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any recorded information for any alternative designs considered to ensure step-free access, and why those designs were rejected.

We have conducted a search of any relevant documentation relating to the Mathematical Bridge and project works folders, and cannot locate any such documents which meet the criteria of your request.

Question 3. What steps have been taken since our 2022 correspondence to revisit or review the issue of accessibility at this location?

Our response:

Our previous Head of Equality and Diversity wrote to our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team on 30 June 2022 to request that the accessibility of the Mathematical Bridge be discussed at the next Access All Areas working group meeting.

The matter of the Mathematical bridge was discussed at the AAA working group meeting in July 2022, and action notes from this meeting disclose the following:

• ‘Mathematical Bridge: accessibility improvements would be significantly expensive. Members were asked to provide comment on priority for improvements. An alternative route is available.’

There were no further steps taken since July 2022 to revisit or review the issue of accessibility at this location.

Question 4. Whether UEA Estates intends to explore funding options for a long-term accessible solution, as it has successfully done concerning the UEA boardwalk further downstream.

Our response:

On this occasion it is not possible to provide any of the requested information. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any recorded information for whether the University’s Estates Division intends to explore any funding options for a long-term accessible solution.

No such exploration into funding for accessible solutions relating to the Mathematical Bridge have been undertaken.