A FOOTBRIDGE which has been out of action for five years could finally re-open by this summer.

The Portway Bridge over the River Colne in Halstead town centre connects Rosemary Lane and Sainsbury’s car park.

There have been endless debates about the bridge since it closed in 2014 for health and safety reasons.

It has been off limits ever since, despite a petition by elderly residents in Riverside Court, who used the bridge, calling for it to be repaired and re-opened.

A teenager even wrote to Buckingham Palace in November 2017, asking the Queen to intervene as the bridge is owned by the Crown Estate.

Halstead Town Council has been working with the county and district councils, Sainsburys and local residents to re-open the bridge

At a town council meeting on Monday, mayor Andy Munday said he was “very positive” the funding would be secured for repairs.

Mr Munday said he hoped the cash would be made available not long after the local elections on May 2.

“I hope we can give it probably three months into the new set of councillors,” he said.

“I think that will be a fair time frame.”

Councillor Garry Warren suggested the council working party should report its progress each month.

He said: “I propose we have it as an item on the agenda to be considered every month even if there is nothing to say.

“At least it shows we are considering it.”

The council agreed the working party should continue to report back on the issue.

Money for the bridge is likely to come from cash paid by housing developers to build in the town.

Mr Munday added: “Our main source of funding is to get section 106 money by putting the bridge on an open space action plan.

“That’s what we have tried to do and focus on.

“It hasn’t been an easy process.”

A report on Monday night’s town council agenda said: “The best avenue to achieve funding is to continue to try and persuade Braintree Council to allow the bridge to be added to the Halstead Council open spaces action plan, since there are unallocated funds being held by Braintree Council owed to Halstead from previous developer contributions.”

n A full list of town council election candidates is on HalsteadGazette.co.uk