Campaigners will fight for more investment and better access for pedestrians in Hackbridge despite a rail company’s decision to demolish two Victorian bridges this weekend.

Network Rail (NR), which owns and maintains most networks in England, will tear down the Irrigation and 100 Acre bridges after claiming it could not afford to spend money on the disused structures.

The demolition of the bridges near the train station is due to take place on Saturday and Sunday, February 25 and 26. There is no plan to replace them.

Read more: Demolition of Hackbridge rail bridges condemned as 'madness'

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Wandle Valley Forum (WVF) argued the bridges will provide vital access to the Hackbridge Primary School expansion that will be built near BedZed and could lead to investment opportunities once completed.

Campaigners have collected hundreds of signatures via two online petitions calling on Sutton Council to save or replace the bridges after NR announced its plans to raze them in May, 2015.

Ruth Dombey, the leader of the council, argued the borough did not have the funds to restore, or replace the structures.

In a letter to Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, she said: “If these bridges are demolished, it would take considerable fundraising and investment to try and provide alternative access arrangement across the railway line. Indeed NR expects Sutton to take on the cost or restoration and maintenance of the bridges.

“The initial restoration costs themselves are simply prohibitive for the Council to take on, particularly when we are subject to a fifty per cent cut in funding from central government.

“The council is also concerned that the timing of demolishing the bridges is ill thought out as the farmland restoration is still in progress and would undermine the very positive developments that are taking place in the area that are of regional significance.

“We understand that restoring both bridges is not viable but we would hope that NR would look to save at least one bridge. Our suggestion would be the Irrigation bridge, which is less derelict and would provide better access if restored.”

Tony Burton, WVF chairman, said: “It is a missed opportunity to invest in the area. A replacement bridge would have brought good connections to the planned school and funding for what is currently wasteland.

“The area has been fenced off for a generation, we can’t allow that to happen for another generation.”

The 53-year-old added: “It was good to see the arguments Ruth Dombey put in a letter to the Secretary of State and that they were what we were asking for, but it was too little too late. There was no discussion between the council and ourselves to find a best way forward.”

A NR spokesman said: “Neither of these two bridges are a public right of way and indeed they have been fenced off for some time.

“We would be happy for the local council to take over responsibility for them. However, after many years of discussions, we have had no offers.

“It’s a difficult situation as all public bodies have to be cautious with how they spend public money, but we simply cannot afford to spend tax and fare payers’ cash on structures that are not in railway use or rights of way.

“As a result, the bridges are scheduled for demolition.”