THE paperwork is now in place to allow a £325,000 replacement footbridge to finally be installed at Aberdour harbour.

The previous crossing over the Dour Burn was washed away by floods during the storms of August 2020 and the delays and cost involved in putting in a new one have been heavily criticised.

Price concerns – the previous estimate for the job was £500,000 – saw Fife Council opt for a cheaper wooden structure and that alteration to the plans has now been approved.

That should allow work to get underway on the new footbridge next month and be completed by August, three years after the old one was destroyed by floods.

It was around five metres in length and linked the east and west sides of the Fife Coastal footpath to Home Park.

The new footbridge will be longer, at more than seven metres, and the work includes putting in place a timber parapet, walkway and superstructure, pre-cast concrete abutments, reconstructed stone walls and rock armour protection.

A non-material variation application was required as, under the original plans that were submitted in September 2021 and approved in March 2022, the bridge was to be made of fibre reinforced polmer.

A council report confirming the change to timber was in order added "it is understood the changes are due to the financial costs" and that the new crossing will continue to represent "a simplistic and sympathetically designed structure".