TIME is running out for the public to have their say on improvement works at a major historical site.

The Skerne Bridge, hidden down a back lane in Darlington, is the oldest railway bridge in the world to remain in continuous use.

Once featured on the £5 note, the bridge was co-designed by railway pioneer George Stephenson and bridge surveyor Ignatius Bonomi, with its foundation stone being laid in July 1824.

In 2025, the bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway will be celebrated and as part of the preparations, Darlington Borough Council is regenerating the approach to the bridge.

A planning application was submitted in April outlining proposals to erect a feature gateway at the entrance to the John Street cycleway, which leads to the bridge.

The proposed gateway is of an elaborate design, green in colour, with the words Skerne Bridge picked out in yellow font on a red background.

Development plans have been welcomed by the Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (FSDR) but the group is now urging the authorities involved in the overall restoration project to ensure a uniform approach to restoration along the 26-mile length of the railway line.

The Friends group has appealed to members of the public to have their say on the plans before Monday, June 12, when the opportunity to comment on the planning application ends.

A statement from Friends group member and Durham councillor John Clare encourages people to support them in asking the council to ensure the text S&DR1825 is included in Times New Roman or Baskerville Old font along the length of the line.

He also urges people to ask the council for the colours used in the gateway to reflect those used on early wagon livery as specified in the 1823 act of Parliament that granted permission for the railway.

Caroline Hardie, also an FSDR member, said these changes were hoped for in order to ensure restoration work remained consistent.

She said the eventual aim of the project was to create a site of historical interest that will attract tourists and railway enthusiasts from across the world.

Ms Hardie said: “What we hope is that although the line crosses through three different local authorities – Durham, Darlington and Stockton – as well as parish councils, private and public land.

“What we would like to see is for it to be uniform the whole way rather than completely different approaches at different points.”

She added: “This gateway will help people in Darlington realise that the Skerne Bridge is an internationally important structure that has been neglected over the years.

“The work is part of a project that will highlight the importance not just of Skerne Bridge but of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

“It is an opportunity to raise the profile of the railway and its role in the beginnings of the railway passenger network which went on to spread around the whole world.”

Comments on the planning proposals can be emailed to planning.enquiries@darlington.gov.uk or sent to Planning Services, Town Hall, Darlington, DL1 4QT quoting reference 17/00344/FUL.