Over £200,000 has been set aside to replace a Penwortham footbridge that was damaged and demolished following Storm Ciara.

Lancashire County Council has pledged £201,250 as part of a major package of improvements to roads, after receiving an extra £15.9m from the Department for Transport.

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The new timber footbridge – classed as being in the electoral divisions of Penwortham East and Walton le Dale and Penwortham West – will replace the previous bridge that crossed a tributary stream on the south bank of the River Ribble.

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During Storm Ciara in February 2020, the old footbridge’s structure supports were undermined and dislodged, and it was subsequently removed for safety.

The removal of the footbridge has led many locals to discover a new beauty spot by taking a detour along a path under the railway viaduct.

Speaking about the extra £15.9m funding from the DfT’s Infrastructure Investment Fund, County Councillor Keith Iddon, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “I’m very pleased that the strong evidence we have presented for the need for extra investment in these transport priorities has been recognised with the award of this significant extra funding.

“We have already committed £1.64m to repair storm damage which is a priority in the next year to prevent further deterioration, and we’ll now be able to carry out more of the repairs which are needed to bring our infrastructure back into full working order.”

Read more: Spending boost to fix Preston and South Ribble damaged roads

A spokesperson for South Ribble Borough Council said: “SRBC welcomes the fact that the footbridge is being replaced.”

No timeframe for the replacement footbridge has been provided.

Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines

What do you think of this funding? Has the removal of the footbridge affected you? Let us know in the comments.