Windsor bridge work tweaked to avoid festive trade disruption

The Windsor Coach Park footbridge will be shut and wrapped in scaffolding after Christmas

Repairs to a footbridge have been altered to avoid disrupting small businesses during the festive period.

The Windsor Coach Park footbridge needs repairs which are expected to take about 25 weeks.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said after listening to concerns the works would "completely avoid the Christmas trading period".

The first phase of the repairs, with no scaffolding or bridge closure, will start on 2 October for eight weeks.

The council said 17 weeks' of work, which will see the bridge fully closed to the public, would now not start until next year.

The Indie Rabble brewery was among several small businesses worried over the timing of the bridge repair works

The announcement of the works led to about a dozen businesses saying they were worried for their survival due to the timings during vital the Christmas trading period.

The second phase of the work also involves enclosing the bridge in scaffolding because it is near a working railway platform.

The bridge is being cleaned and repainted, having new lights fitted and a new mirror film added to the underside of the canopy.

The council said the work would "enhance the sense of welcome into Windsor town centre".

It added access to businesses would be maintained throughout the works with signs in place showing alternative walking routes.