Designs for a £850,000 footbridge to span the river Avon to the new £35m Kingston Mill complex in Bradford on Avon have been released for the first time.

A public consultation over the plans for the footbridge, which will link the library car park in Bridge Street to Kingston Mill’s bridge yard, will be held this weekend.

Plans for the single mast suspension bridge, which has been in the pipeline for more than eight years, will be exhibited at the library from Saturday until Friday, June 5, during library opening hours.

A public meeting will be held in St Margaret’s Hall on Wednesday at 7pm for residents to find out more information and discuss any concerns.

Newly-appointed town mayor, Cllr Isabel Martindale, said: “The bridge will be a godsend really for people coming from the south of Bradford and will save them coming through the town, especially over the terrifying and intimidating bridge, which is awful for cyclists and pedestrians.

“We have moved in to the 21st century and we need to move forward and embrace designs that will fit in and not scream at the surroundings.

“We are also very mindful of the economic situation as these things do cost money, and we will need to raise that money, but we need to be looking forward and not just stand still.”

So far the committee behind the footbridge has raised about £250,000 ready for the build, with the rest anticipated to come from grants and through hosting community fundraising events.

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

Jocelyn Feilding, (CORR) chairman of the town’s Preservation Trust’s planning committee, said: “I think the latest design is lovely, but it is not brand new, as in, it is one I have seen already.”

Cllr Vicky Landell-Mills, chairman of the town’s foot and cycle bridge working group, said: “The bridge will make the whole development come to life and put a new heart in to our wonderful town.”

Demolition work is well underway on the Kingston Mill site, which will be transformed by Linden Homes into residential units, shops, offices and community space .