A footbridge in one part of Taunton town centre cannot be used to replace one further upstream – because it is the wrong size.

Somerset Council’s planning committee west voted on August 20 to replace the existing Morrisons footbridge over the River Tone (near the Coal Orchard regeneration site) with a newer, wider bridge which cyclists can cross without having to dismount.

The new bridge – which is being funded through the government’s future high streets fund – will be installed in the coming months as part of a range of measures to create a car-free route for pedestrians and cyclists between Taunton railway station and Vivary Park, via Firepool and Coal Orchard.

Councillor Norman Cavill requested at this meeting that the existing bridge should be carefully removed and stored by the council, allowing it to be reinstalled at an appropriate location elsewhere on the river or the nearby Bridgwater and Taunton Canal at a later date.

The council recently removed the beloved footbridge just upstream in Goodland Gardens, which had been closed since November 2022 after “significant” structural weaknesses were discovered.

Taunton Town Council has been exploring options to reinstate a crossing at this point in the river, providing a link between the green space and the Riverain Lodge retirement community.

But following enquiries, the town council has been informed that the Morrisons bridge is the wrong size to be relocated upstream into Goodland Gardens.

A spokesman said: “We have been in touch with Somerset Council to discuss the possibility of reusing the bridge currently used as a crossing between Morrisons and Somerset Square.

“We have been advised that the bridge in question was built for that specific section of the river and cannot be adapted for use elsewhere.”

While the town council took over the ownership and management of Goodland Gardens in April 2023, the now-removed footbridge remained within Somerset Council’s ownership.

The town council commissioned a study into the bridge’s future in October 2023, which laid out some possible locations for a replacement bridge and assessed how financially viable these options would be.

It also set aside £10,000 in April for an assessment of its existing foundations and the neighbouring land has been completed, with groundwork investigations being carried out in late-July shortly before the demolition crew moved in.

At a full council meeting in early-July, officers indicated that a new bridge may be partially funded through external grants from Wessex Water, the Hinkley Point C community fund and other similar sources.

The town council is expected to make a final decision on any new bridge in the autumn or winter, with a view to such a structure being delivered in the spring of 2025.

Until a new bridge is put in place, Taunton pedestrians and cyclists have to rely on the existing road bridges on the A3027 Bridge Street and the A3807 Tangier Way to cross the river – with the former having been recently upgraded at a cost of around £1.3m.