Hopes remain high of replacing washed-away bridges

Two bridges were washed away by high river levels in Annan in 2021

Efforts to replace two bridges washed away during severe flooding have reached an "exciting time" according to the group behind the move.

The Diamond Jubilee and Cuthbertson Memorial Bridge were destroyed when water levels on the River Annan hit a 50-year high in late October 2021.

More than two years on, a local group set up to look at the way ahead hopes to see a feasibility study launched soon.

The public is being invited to its first annual general meeting to hear what has been done and what the future holds.

The two bridges were washed away as heavy rains swept across southern Scotland in October 2021.

Stuart Thompson chairs the charity A Tale of Two Bridges which was set up to look at the way forward.

The group is now on the brink of launching a feasibility study.

A study will look at replacing one or both of the bridges

"They are a tremendous miss within the larger community - a lot of people would use these bridges on a very regular basis," he said.

"Obviously we're a wee bit frustrated that it has taken as long to reach this stage but a lot of work has been going on in the background.

"There is still a tremendous lot to do - the feasibility study will hopefully be the catalyst to go to potential funders and knock on doors.

"I think, from the outside, it is very difficult to understand the hoops you have got to jump through to actually even think about replacing bridges.

"There is the environmental impact, there's major health and safety issues and there are lots of rules and regulations that we need to consider," he said.

Mr Thompson added Dumfries and Galloway Council had been supportive of their efforts and hoped as many people as possible would come to the AGM at the Corner House Hotel in Annan.