FIFE Council have admitted a "couple of errors" and now say they can deliver a new wooden footbridge at Aberdour harbour for £325,000 by August.

That would still be three years after the old crossing was washed away in a storm but a significant saving on the hefty £500,000 price tag that officers quoted in November.

Torrents of floodwater caused the bridge over the Dour Burn to collapse in August 2020 but the length of time it's taking to build a replacement – and the new one may be a flat-pack – has infuriated local residents and businesses.

Council officer Michael Anderson told the South West Fife area committee: "We're hoping that we can deliver within our available budget of £325,000.

"Please note this is less than what was previously stated at the November area committee.

"Following an internal investigation I noted a couple of errors that have been rectified and that is the budget we believe the bridge can be delivered within, following discussions with contractors pre-tender."

The contract went out to tender on February 20, there are "number of interested parties" and bids are expected by March 14.

All going well they hope work will start on site early next month with "programme completion" in August, although Mr Anderson said that would depend on the delivery of the bridge.

Mr Anderson explained: "We're proposing to maintain the existing design as best we can, with the exception that we're going to use a timber bridge instead of FRP (fibre-reinforced plastic).

"This offers the ability to construct the project in two phases.

"If the contractor decides where we can instal the abutments in the first couple of weeks they can come back later and fabricate the bridge on the site itself."

The move to a timber bridge involves a minor planning tweak, which can be resolved in "a couple of days", which means that "everything is in place now for the bridge to go ahead".

He continued: "With it being timber it may not come all-together, it could come flat-packed and you build it up on site. That offers a saving on access.

"It's proposed that site time will be, hopefully, six weeks all in which offers a saving on the hire of expensive items, for example, protective mats.

"In the initial tender we had costs for these items about 17 per cent so when you're talking about a tender value of £500,000 that's a phenomenal sum, we had to really find a way of getting that figure down as best we can."

Last summer councillors were told the £405,000 that was set aside for a new footbridge wasn't enough.

A tender process had resulted in just one bid that was "far in excess" of the budget and officers went back to the drawing board.

In November the committee was presented with four options.

The preferred option was £476,000 but they'd have had to wait to find out if the extra money needed would be allocated in the budget.

Now councillors have been informed that additional cash is not needed and the bridge will cost £325,000.

Committee convener David Barratt said: "It's good to see the bridge is finally progressing.

"I know there have been a lot of constraints that legitimately added to the timescale, but there have also been design and methodology decisions that haven't helped in the timely replacement of the bridge.

"I hope lessons can be learned."