Final plans for an £850,000 footbridge linking Bradford on Avon town centre to the soon-to-be-built £35m Kingston Mills development have been revealed.

The bridge project, which has been on the table for more than eight years and will be paid for by Bradford on Avon Town Council, will connect the car park at the front of the library in Bridge Street with bridge yard on the Kingston Mill site.

Demolition work has begun on the former Avon Rubber factory which will be transformed into 170 homes, shops and offices.

Town councillor Vicky Landell-Mills, chair of the footbridge working party, said she is thrilled with the final design for the single mast suspension bridge, which were unveiled to councillors on April 14.

Cllr Landell-Mills said: “I have been involved in this project for a long time. An enormous amount of work has been done up to this moment.

“It is a very exciting design and I think it will fit in well.

“Once we have got to the next stage of planning we will be able to focus on fundraising.”

An exhibition showing the footbridge design will be held at the town library in Bridge Street later this month.

A public meeting will then follow for people to make suggestions or raise concerns.

So far the committee has raised £250,000 towards the bridge, with the rest to be raised through grants and fundraising events.

Cllr Landell-Mills said: “I think the bridge will make a fantastic difference to the site and for people who want to get to the development and to get around the town more easily.

“We will have to get planning permission first and then work in conjunction with Linden Homes, so the bridge will be in tandem with their plans.

“We can’t build it before there is something for people to go to.”

The bridge will be made out of Corten, the steel used to make the Angel of the North, and the handrails will be made out of stainless steel.

The footbridge has been designed by Mark Lovell Designs Engineers in Devizes.