Darley Abbey temporary bridge plan approved

Derby City Council said it decided to intervene due to the importance to the community

A temporary footbridge is to replace a Derby crossing which was closed due to fears of collapse.

Darley Abbey toll bridge, in Darley Mills, was shut in May after "serious public safety concerns" were uncovered by inspectors.

Derby City Council said it was taking the unusual step of intervening, despite not owning the bridge, due to its importance to the community.

The project is expected to cost £300,000 and take about five weeks.

The bridge at Darley Abbey was built in 1783

The authority said it wanted to move quickly while a "longer, more permanent solution is identified".

The Conservative leader of the council, Chris Poulter, said the temporary bridge was the "best possible solution" but stressed the council did not want sole responsibility for future funding.

Opposition councillors called for for central government to "step up to the plate" to help fund a new bridge in the long term.

The bridge at Darley Abbey dates back to 1783, when Walter Evans built a cotton mill by the weir on the River Derwent.

An octagonal gatehouse to the mill became used as the toll house and a toll was reintroduced in 2010, with motorists charged £1 per crossing.