More than 500 members of the public have taken the opportunity to let Perth & Kinross Council know which design they would prefer for a proposed pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Tay.

For the last three weeks the Council has been inviting views on two designs created for the bridge intended to span the river from the North Inch to Isla Road at Upper Springlands. Feedback from the consultation will help inform the decision on which design will go forward to the planning process.

The consultation has now closed and the Council will make a decision on the chosen design, based on the feedback from the consultation. This will be communicated on the Council's website and in the local media. Proposed plans, based on the chosen design, will then go forward to the planning process.

Members of the public will also be involved in some future decisions, such as the naming of the bridge as the project progresses.

The Council, regional transport partnership TACTRAN and Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, have been working together on the Connect2 project since the successful award of a Big Lottery Fund grant of £1.25m to Sustrans in December 2007. The project comprises not only the bridge but also improvements to local walking and cycling routes to link them to the bridge and enhance access for anyone walking or going by bike through Perth.

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The detailed design of the bridge is the next stage in the project after initial design works and ground investigations, and the completion of an environmental impact assessment. It is hoped, subject to planning permission being granted, that construction of the bridge would begin in 2011, with building work expected to take six to eight months to complete.

Council Leader Councillor Ian Miller said: "The Connect2 project has always very much been a community project, beginning with the huge local support for the Big Lottery Fund competition back in 2007.

"It is intended to improve routes for walkers and cyclists in Perth and link both sides of the Tay with a bridge specifically designed for pedestrian and bike use. Ensuring we get the public involved in the project and consult them at the final design stage is therefore very important. We wanted people to tell us which of the two options they prefer so the community has a real hand in the decision-making process. I would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation.

"This is only the first stage in our community engagement plans for the project and we will be looking to involve the public further in decisions such as naming the bridge as the project progresses."

To view the proposed designs and find out more about the Connect2 bridge visit www.pkc.gov.uk/connect2

(GK)