The National Trust has applied to the Marine Management Organisation for a licence to start building the long-awaited £250,000 footbridge at Stiffkey.

The removal of the original bridge in 2022 sparked outrage among the local community. 

After locals were left without a way of safely crossing a marsh, a series of makeshift 'fairy bridges' appeared as a substitute for the old bridge. 

Locals now have little faith in the National Trust, believing it is dragging out the process and fearing the work could be pushed back even further.

They say that the application ‘should have been done months ago’ and question the time the application took to appear on the MMO website, pointing out that the bid could take longer than expected to process.

READ MORE: National Trust finally lodge plans for new Stiffkey bridge

According to the National Trust, works are most likely to take place between September 23 and November 8 this year.

However, there is a chance this could be delayed depending on permissions and on whether birds are breeding in the area.

A spokesperson for the National Trust said: “We’re still working to the timeline we set out at the start of the year, with the aim that a replacement bridge is in place by autumn 2024. We remain hopeful that both applications will be successful.”