A REVISED completion date for a replacement bridge at Staveley has been confirmed by Cumbria County Council today.

It follows what it describes as productive and positive discussions with the local community.

The new bridge is expected to be open to traffic before Easter 2017, five months sooner than previous estimates.

The county council says the shorter timeframe reflects the positive outcome of early design works and its close relationship with the Environment Agency.

It will work with the local authority to ensure building work in the river does not increase flood risk or damage the environment.

Stephen Hall, CCC's Assistant Director for Highways, Transport and Fleet said: “Today’s discussion was really helpful and I’m delighted that we have are now establishing a positive working relationship with the local community.

"There’s a lot of work to do and we’ll be keeping people informed through a new local stakeholder forum as we progress. We had always hoped to be able to deliver the new bridge sooner, but until now were not in a position to commit to an earlier date. I’m very pleased that we are now able to do so."

David Brockbank, owner of Staveley Mill Yard representing the community and the businesses in Staveley, said: “We had a really productive meeting today, and are delighted that the bridge will be finished by Easter at the latest.

"This is a huge improvement in time frame which will be of enormous benefit to the community and businesses in the village. We welcome the decision to work in partnership with Cumbria County Council to overcome any obstacles and make this happen.”