Fundraiser launched to restore condemned Peak District footbridge

The bridge was closed when structural engineers condemned it as unsafe four years ago. The route facilitates important access for residents and visitors alike who are desperate for it to be reopened.

Now the Peak District National Park Foundation has set up a funding page to replace the condemned footbridge.

A spokesperson for the Peak District National Park said: “The overall estimated cost of a replacement bridge is expected to be around £180,00 - £200,000. The PDNPA is committing £20,000 to cover the costs of removing the old bridge.

“The Peak District National Park Foundation has given a £20,000 grant towards the project, and the Access and Conservation Trust, the charity of the British Mountaineering Council an additional grant of £10,000. This leaves a shortfall of potentially up to £150,000.

“We now have the opportunity to apply for a significant project grant from the Farming in Protected Landscapes fund which would make the project possible in 2024.

“However, the application will be much stronger with additional donations from the community and make it more likely to be funded.”

The existing bridge was erected in the mid-1980s by the military and as such wasn't under the jurisdiction of any particular body.

After investigating the situation in detail, the Peak District National Park Authority has taken the project on.

After a decade of real-term cuts to the National Park's government grant of around 40 per cent, the Park Authority is not in a position to fund the bridge replacement itself, and is now seeking funds to replace the bridge.

The spokesperson said: “People can make a real difference towards the Cressbrook Mill Bridge Appeal.

“Are there groups you are involved in who may be able to make a donation? “Donations of all sizes are welcome and important. Donations need to be made by the end of February 2024, to enable us to include them in our application.”

To donate to the fundraiser visit peakdistrict.enthuse.com/cf/cressbrook-mill-bridge