PROPOSALS to widen a bridge partially swept away in the Boxing Day 2015 floods will go before planners tomorrow night.

Bury Council planning committee will vote on the authority’s application to increase the width of the upstream side Kay Street Bridge, in Summerseat, so it can again take traffic.

The bridge was left with no physical barrier on its east flank due to the demolition of The Waterside following the damage it sustained in the floods.

It has since been closed to vehicles, although it reopened to pedestrians in March 2016. The new plans will create a single carriageway road and a segregated pedestrian footway.

Protracted negotiations with a landowner failed to reach an agreement, resulting in compulsory purchase order papers being served. This will allow widening work to take place if the application is approved.

The long-awaited plans have been welcomed by all the council's political groups, although there has been criticism over length of time it has taken to serve CPO papers and bring forward an application.

Planning officers have received seven letters backing the application, with one urging the council to rebuild the bridge immediately ‘no ifs or buts’.

One resident said: “I support the application for many reasons. For one, the health and safety of all, but mostly the children and families that risk life and limb most days.

"The reduction of services. The traffic jams when a bus, bin wagon or tractor cannot get passed and the dreadful road conditions when ice and snow prevented the flow of traffic.”

And another letter added: “This is a public highway for the good of everyone in the village. The alternative route along railway street is totally inadequate and is dangerous for pedestrians. The loss of the bridge at Kay Street has been a major inconvenience to residents.”

However, there have also been some 20 objections received, many of which raise road safety concerns and claim the closure of the bridge to traffic has been beneficial to Summerseat.

One respondent said: “The bridge has become a focal beauty point for and gives a real sense of a village. This could be an opportunity to develop a community facility being adjacent to the twin benefits of River and Railway.

“More importantly the area is much safer in terms of road traffic and my concern is that once reopened the stretch of Waterside Road from Robin Road to Ruby Street returns to being a hotspot for speeding cars. Perhaps changes could be made to calm traffic.”

While another resident questioned whether the money could be better spent elsewhere, claiming that the Twist Bridge crossing downstream provided adequate crossing.

But planning officers are recommending the committee approves the application.

The report says that the amount of traffic using Twist Bridge has been “artificially concentrated” in a confined area, which also lacks any separation for pedestrians.

It adds: “The opening of the Kay Street Bridge, would spread traffic within the village and through the introduction of a segregated pedestrian access, would improve access opportunities and improve safety.”

Highways chiefs also say it would be “unreasonable to concentrate traffic solely in one area when repairs can ensure greater equity and access”.

Bury Council’s planning committee meets at 7pm tomorrow at the town hall.