A lack of cash flow has pushed plans for a bridge at Moncreiffe Island on to the back burner, the Perthshire Advertiser newspaper has reported.

The project for a bridge linking the island to mainland Perth was kept quiet, but an 'insider' at Perth and Kinross Council confirmed to the newspaper that talks had taken place.

However the cash-strapped council "couldn't justify it".

The anonymous insider said: "There are funding problems with all these sort of things now and a bridge over to the island is not an option at the present time. It was there as a potential idea but there was not enough support."

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This project was not linked to previous plans for a pedestrian Connect2 bridge over the River Tay, which failed when cost estimates ballooned from £1.25m to £5.25m.

A council spokesman said there were no plans for a bridge project and no discussions had been held with any parties.

"These claims are totally untrue," said the spokesman yesterday.

But the 'insider' source insisted a new bridge had indeed been on the radar, designed to improve island access for visitors, golfers, allotment users and disabled people, particularly those in wheelchairs.

The current bridge was "a real problem for a lot of people and not disabled friendly", the source said.

(NE)