Council votes to remove historic stepping stones over fears someone could slip off them

By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:40, 6 July 2026 | Updated: 11:48, 6 July 2026 A council has decided to remove historic stepping stones over fears someone might slip off them. The stones across the Hogsmill River at Ewell, Surrey, were laid more than four decades ago in 1983 and have become an iconic landmark in that time.  The crossing was submerged in water for several months, and now the Environment Agency wants them gone on health and safety grounds. Epsom and Ewell Borough Council's Environment Committee met to discuss whether the authority should assume responsibility for the stepping stones last Tuesday. Instead, they decided to rip them up and build an expensive new £100,000 footbridge in their place - despite being advised that repairs or improvements like adding a handrail would cost under £1,000. Chairwoman Cllr Liz Frost said: 'The Environment Agency has advised that, for safety reasons, it wishes to remove the stepping stones from the Hogsmill River unless another organisation agrees to assume responsibility for their ongoing safety and maintenance.'  Cllr Frost said the council had been asked to choose between four options in Countryside Manager Stuart Cocker's report. These included keeping and maintaining the stones, building a new bridge alongside them, and removing the stones without replacement. The council wants to tear up these historic stepping stones and build at £100,000 bridge, rather than maintain them for just £1,000 Instead, the council agreed to remove the stepping stones and build a footbridge in their place. Mr Cocker told councillors that one of the concrete steps has been damaged, likely due to dogs using it, but he stressed the repair costs would be under £1,000. He also said this is the first time in over 40 years that the crossing has needed any major maintenance, which suggests it's generally held up well over time. He added: 'You could argue for having a handrail on the steps, possibly a non-slip surface, but it's all achievable within current budgets.' Mr Cocker even suggested that the council could stop the stones from being submerged by lowering the water level by moving river gravel downstream. The South East Rivers Trust already has permission and funding for the job, which would work out much cheaper than tearing up the massive stones and building the new bridge. However, he warned that even if the water level issue could be solved, the Environment Agency still did not consider the stones safe. The debate then turned more personal as councillors spoke about their memories of the crossing and what it means locally. Cllr Rob Geleit said: 'I'm one of those people who used to play there as a child, and I think there's always an element of risk in places where children play, especially when there's water, but I would hate to see the stepping stones gone. 'So I'd like to say: please don't take the toys away.' Cllr Julie Morris also told councillors: 'I haven't really heard anybody speak in favour of getting rid of the stepping stones entirely. 'I did a bit of research to try and find out where else there are similar stones and actually they're quite rare. It is quite a rare thing and I think part of our history. 'I think there are good solutions suggested that deal with better access, but also deal with the fun of being able to cross that part of the river.' But other councillors warned that sentiment could not outweigh the legal risks. Cllr Rachel King, who emphasised that she wasn't pro-remove-the-stones, said: 'You could put a sign up that says "cross at your own risk" or "these are dangerous and slippery when wet", but the reality is you're still responsible if somebody hurts themselves. 'You cannot sign your way out of liability. 'The suggestion from the report is that we would be accepting liability at this stage and they are not safe currently and knowing that they're not safe, we would be opening ourselves up to claims. 'We are responsible for keeping people safe and letting people do things that we know are not safe is irresponsible.' Tied up in bureaucratic knots, the committee opted to take up the stepping stones and replace them with the footbridge and save themselves from potential legal problems down the line. Five out of eight councillors backed the decision.  It is estimated a new footbridge will cost over £100,000, including design and planning fees. Cllr Frost said: 'When we went to look at them, actually getting down those steps and across the stepping stones is not for a lot of people. 'You've got to be reasonably able-bodied. You can't do that with prams, pushchairs, bikes and all sorts of things. 'In fact, adding a bridge would enable a lot more people to get to that area.'