Disputes over who owns the footbridge over Welshpool canal have prevented its repair and upkeep for decades, a meeting heard.

A bridge on Berriew Road crossing Welshpool’s canal has been in a state of limbo amid confusion over ownership and responsibility for repairing it, according to findings presented to Welshpool Town Council at their latest meeting.

The council’s operations manager, Paul McGrath, informed councillors that after months of research he has found “no definitive proof” over who owns the footbridge, with the town council, Powys County Council and the Canal and Rivers Trust all having a claim.

Mr McGrath explained: “These councils and the canal trust have been arguing about ownership of the bridge for decades, and all the while this bridge is not getting better.”

Last summer the bridge was temporarily closed off while repair work was carried out, while residents criticised its deteriorating condition, with broken wooden panels highlighting the lack of maintenance, as well as the general accessibility of a bridge that is proving difficult to navigate for people with mobility issues.

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Mr McGrath added: “According to a recent report the bridge is repairable and is there is no imminent danger of it collapsing, but parts are corroding.

"Cross members have rotted through, these stop lateral sway so they need looking at, though the parts that take the stress and weight on the bridge are fine for now.”

Town councillors expressed thanks for Mr McGrath for his work researching the bride’s history to try and resolve who bears responsibility for repairing it, and discussed their next move.

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Cllr Richard Church said: “The good news is that the bridge is safe as it is, which comes as a huge relief, I was worried we’d end up having to close it off.

"But we must not let this issue drop as it could continue to go round between us, Powys Council and the Rivers Trust.

“What we need is some idea of how much it would cost to repair the bridge and then go about finding the money for it and see where we can get the funding.

"For instance we could look into the Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund that has been used to finance the work along Severn Road. There are several routes we could go down.”

The council voted in favour of a proposal to find estimates for the cost of repairing the bridge and then opening discussions with Powys Council and the Canal and Rivers Trust towards funding said repairs.