Renovations to a footbridge over Welshpool’s canal will be carried out later this summer, the town council confirmed at a recent meeting.
At a meeting of Welshpool Town Council’s services and property committee, Cllr Nick Howells confirmed that work to renovate the footbridge over Montgomery canal on Berriew Road will happen in August.
News of the work follows an offer from Welshpool businessman James Potter to pay the outstanding amount for a full restoration after the council obtained a £2,500 grant to repair the bridge from Powys County Council.
Cllr Howells said: “As you all know, after receiving a £2,500 from Powys County Council, James Potter agreed to pay remainder of the cost of the bridge which is a fantastic offer.
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“I sent him an update to say where we are, to confirm that the fabrication work begins on August 13 and will take no longer than August 27.
“I volunteered to project manage the administrative side of it and been in touch with the Canal and Rivers Trust and Powys County Council. I left a message for the Canal and Riverboat Trust, doing everything formally to say we’ll close the bridge and canal for two weeks.
The towpath will still be open during that time. I know there’s an alternative route for canal boats so we’re not stopping them from operating. Besides the group of volunteers who maintain the canal, as far as we can tell there are no canal events for any time in that period.
“Once again offer my utmost thanks to Mr Potter.”
Cllr Howells also confirmed that the town council would formally adopt the bridge once works are completed, settling the issue surrounding the old bridge, as a dispute over which public group owned the bridge, between the town council, Powys County Council and the Canal and Rivers Trust.
The confusion over the bridge’s ownership and who would be responsible for carrying out repairs, delayed a full scale renovation of the structure, which needed emergency repairs twice over the past 18 months.
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