PLANS to build a multi-million pound footbridge across the River Severn in the north of the city have become clearer, as the city council looks set to approve where it is and what it will look like.

Further survey work is required - and with council approval - the bridge will most likely be placed across the river from Gheluvelt Park to the east and land in the old Kepax landfill site - with a design very similar to the Diglis Bridge that opened in 2010.

The money to pay for a range of surveys will be be drawn from a £150,000 lump earmarked from the city council’s City Plan pot in February 2017.

Having already spent just over £31,000 on finding a suitable site, the £110,000 receipt for the new reports will sit comfortably within the £150,000 kitty.

A further £500,000 from the same City Plan funds was sanctioned in March to partly pay for the bridge and act as a signal by the authority of its intention to build the bridge.

More funding will be required from elsewhere to cover the estimated total cost of £4.2 million.

If approved, the Gheluvelt-Kepax site, the city council’s preferred location, will require specialist work before and during construction.

Historically, Gheluvelt Park was a water filtration work which means the site could potentially be contaminated and so the ground conditions are currently seen as uncertain until a full investigation has been carried out.

On the other side of the river, environmental specialists will be need to advise, and may likely need to supervise, foundation building due to the high risk of contamination from old landfill.

The span of the bridge is expected to be around 110m - larger than the 60m span of the Diglis Bridge.

It is hoped the new northern bridge will very much ape the success of the Diglis Bridge where hundreds of thousands of people use the bridge every year and has opened up the city to cyclists and those travelling on foot.

Whilst securing all the millions may not be the immediate focus, the success of the Diglis bridge in helping the city get around by bike and by foot, means the city council is in a strong position to again secure Big Lottery funding.

A decision will be made when the city council's policy and resources committee meets this evening (July 30) at 7pm.