ANSWERS are being demanded of Essex County Council over failures to repair a bridge on time.

Residents have been complaining for months about lack of access to Bakers Lane, Colchester, while work is carried out on the bridge. It was meant to reopen in the summer after being closed from January, 2014. However, the work has over-run and the bridge is now not expected to reopen until next month.

Colchester councillors on the scrutiny panel have demanded a county council officer attend a future meeting to explain themselves.

Dominic Graham, ward councillor for Mile End, put forward the motion at meeting of the panel.

He said: “We need an explanation for those delays and those to the Northern Approach Road.”

Mike Hogg, ward councillor for St Anne’s, said: “It has had an enormous impact on Colchester residents and we are still waiting.”