£600,000 fund package agreed to repair bridges at Peterborough's Cuckoos Hollow
Foot bridges were closed in January due to safety concerns
Funding of £600,000 is set to be made available to repair three footbridges at Peterborough’s Cuckoos Hollow.
The cash has been agreed by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to fix the bridges that were put out of bounds to the public following safety concerns in January.
The funding package has been put together following on-site meetings between representatives of the council and the Combined Authority and the approval of a business case.
Now Councillor Angus Ellis, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, has been asked to give an emergency authorisation for a contract for the construction of Cuckoos Hollow Bridge to Milestone Infrastructure up to a value of £600,000.
A document released by the council states that a decision has to be taken ahead of the cabinet’s next meeting in October so order for the work can be given as soon as possible.
Peterborough City Council closed the bridges between Werrington and Gunthorpe - adjacent to Baron Court, Lakeside and Welbourne after inspections revealed dangers due to a sudden deterioration of the structures.
The bridges were closed to the public on January 8 and council chiefs warned they would remain shut for the foreseeable future while the structures were replaced.
The action comes after the bridges had already been identified as needing replacement in the 2024/2025 financial year.
But a council spokesperson said the deterioration of the structures has been much quicker than anticipated leading to the decision to close them.
The move sparked anger among residents and councillors who were angry at the lack of consultation over the closures and the inconvenience caused.