THE reconstruction of Tadcaster Bridge has been delayed after North Yorkshire County Council decided to pile the ground through boring instead of pile-driving.

The authority said the method reduced the risk of damaging the bridge structure but required the services of a specialist contractor which had caused a hold-up of the work.

Tadcaster County Councillor Chris Metcalfe said the authority would be working closely with Balfour Beatty, its main contractor, to recover that delay.

”We are doing everything we can currently to deliver the works, both repair and improvement, within the original target date of the end of the year," he said.

Cllr Metcalfe also called for townspeople who supported county council plans to widen the bridge to make their views known to Selby District Council's planning committee, which will consider the planning application next month.

“It is vital that the voice of the community is heard, as this application represents a one-off opportunity to improve access for pedestrians across this important piece of infrastructure linking east and west Tadcaster," he said.

“All too often planning applications only receive objections, but letters of support are equally, if not more important.”

The work would see the footpaths on the bridge widened from under one metre in places to two metres and would increase the number of street lights from one to six. It would also strengthen the bridge to enable it to cope with higher river levels.

The 18th century grade two listed bridge is currently under repair following its partial collapse due to the force of flood water following heavy rains over Christmas. Reconstruction of the bridge is being funded by £3m from the Government.

A council spokeswoman said that as the proposed widening was to be achieved through a cantilever, this would only affect the construction work above the top of the arches and therefore all repair work below that point continued as planned.

"At times it may look like little work is progressing on the bridge itself, however work continues in the car park near the bridge where contractors are assembling arch rings that will support the construction work," she said.

"They are also working in the quarries, cutting and shaping the stone ready for the repairs to be carried out."