Sides to meet over North Shields' footbridge future

North Tyneside Council's plan to demolish the structure was met with anger by campaigners

Campaigners and council chiefs are due to meet to discuss the future of a footbridge saved from demolition.

North Tyneside Council wanted to remove Borough Road Bridge, in North Shields, saying it would cost too much to repair and was rarely used.

However, a public inquiry staged earlier this year rejected the proposal.

Residents argued the route was essential for older and disabled people, and families with children.

Other campaigners said the structure offered unparalleled views of the River Tyne.

A bridge, connecting Yeoman Street and Waldo Street to Tennyson Terrace, has served the community since 1850 with a replacement built in 1936.

North Tyneside Council said it would meet the Residents' Association of Yeoman Street (Rays) on 23 August to "discuss future maintenance requirements", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Maurice King, secretary of Rays, said: "The present bridge has been there since the 1930s and now that route has to remain, as per the opinion of the Planning Inspectorate, the priority is for the council to repair and maintain the bridge.

"It is used by communities on both sides of the bridge and tourists who come from the ferry, and for people who want the views of the Tyne."