It is the news many people in Kendal have been waiting for.

Five years on from the devastating Storm Desmond, that left many homes flooded and many bridges damaged, the town is set to get its Gooseholme Bridge back.

The bridge that linked Gooseholme Park and the town was a vital link for the community and for a number of members of society.

And this week the Planning Inspector gave the seal of approval to re-build the link bridge.

It has been away for so long that many locals have now got used to it not being there, and have gotten used to having to use the nearby bridges to access the town from that side of the river.

Some may have thought it may never be re-built, with objections to the plans delaying the project from progressing.

But after the lengthy planning process it looks as if the new bridge will be better and stronger than ever, and will be prepared with whatever a future storm may throw at it.

The good news about the announcement is that it is going to be an access for all bridge, and not just a footbridge, meaning people on scooters, in pushchairs and wheelchairs will be able to use it.

And the plans show it will be a raised up footbridge, meaning it won't be as susceptible to damage as the previous structure.

Concerns were raised by local campaign groups, and that is par for the course when it comes to such a substantial development like this one.

The concerns on any project need to be taken into consideration, but I think the local authorities and the large percentage of the local population can see that this structure needs to be re-built.

It would be interesting to see how it impacted on footfall in the area closer to the river, in the months and year after it was damaged during the storm.

As previously stated people have got used to it not being there in recent years. Some younger members of the community may not even remember it being there.

So to have it replaced over the next year or so will provide a huge boost for people on the Gooseholme Park side of the river.

It will give older people and others in society an easier access to the town, and will bring the area back to looking like its former self.