CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a bridge claim £271,000 of taxpayer’s money has been spent on investigations...money which could have been spent on repairs.

Villagers in Boxted want to save the bridge which goes from Wick Road and Lower Farm Road over the River Stour.

But Essex County Council’s highways department says the 117-year-old bridge is in a dangerous condition and should be replaced.

The Save Our Bridge campaign, which has a petition with 6,850 signatures, used the Freedom of Information Act to access the information.

It says it found studies dating back to 2017 have amounted to over half the original estimated sum of the cost of repairing the bridge in 2018.

Lucinda de Jasay, from the Save Our Bridge campaign, said: “I don’t have confidence in them or their capability, as they are not providing the basic, detailed things needed for a planning application.

Read more >>> Thousands of campaigners in fight to save historic bridge from being demolished

"There have been no detailed drawings, costs assessments, risk assessments or construction contingency risks.

“So far, Essex Highways has submitted a one-page drawing and a mock photo image of the bridge in the planning application.

“How can a planning decision be made with such scant detail?

“Things go wrong and this needs to be factored into the costs.

“Remember the bridge in Lexden, back in 2012? That was replaced and there were delays for six months due to flooding. Work had to stop, which caused delays and increased costs.”

Essex Highways said a study carried out by Cleveland Bridge UK Ltd last year, who were commissioned by Essex Highways to carry out an independent assessment report, was that a replacement bridge should be the preferred option.

But Ms de Jasay said the report recommended a replacement facsimile bridge deck, not a whole new bridge.

A spokesperson for Essex Highways said: “The cost so far includes staff time, subcontract and professional fees as well as the option study and outline design.

"The planning application is just one part of the feasibility stage.

"There are currently 13 documents in the application.

“One of these is the landscape assessment, which is one of many studies that includes consideration of the bridge’s heritage.”