The £750,000 plans to build a new bridge over the River Sid have been given the final approval for work to begin.

The application came direct from Devon County Council, which applied to replace the 130 year old Alma Bridge.

The bridge is in poor condition and likely to be lost in the next few years. It had been hoped the works would begin this autumn but they have been postponed until after FolkWeek in August 2019 and will last for around six months. The new bridge will have a minimum life span of 40 years and will be installed 37 metres upstream of the existing bridge. The installation could see the fencing off of the Ham and the current footpath leading up to Cliff Road will be closed.