PRESSURE is being put on for a temporary bridge to be operating over the River Teme at Eastham in time for the start of the new school term in September.

Chiefs from Worcestershire County Council have suggested that a temporary bridge may be in place by the end of the year.

But exasperated local residents say that this is simply not good enough.

Celia Adams, whose family farms on both sides of the River Teme, says that it is important that there is a temporary bridge by the start of the new school year in September.

“This is the target that we want to see met,” she said.

“There are real problems for people with children and from September there will be some children living in Eastham that will be starting school in Cleobury Mortimer, never mind those that go to school in Lindridge,” said Celia Adams.

She said that the collapse of the bridge in May is causing real problems for people with children.

“They have to get up at least half-an-hour earlier and the children get back half-an-hour later,” said Celia Adams.

“This may not sound a lot but creates a lot of pressure for families and young children. But it is not just the inconvenience but also substantial extra cost for children that do not go to school on the bus.”

She added that it had been very difficult since the bridge suddenly collapsed in May but people had been able to get by since then. However, something needs to be done to make sure that a temporary crossing is in place by September.

“It is going to get very difficult from September with a lot more agricultural traffic on the minor roads,” added Celia Adams.

“The country lanes are very difficult for large volumes of traffic including school buses. Since the bridge collapsed it has been mainly dry but it is almost inevitable that we will have rain and this will bring mud on to the roads making them even more dangerous.”

Celia Adams said that residents are determined to keep the pressure up and not relent in pushing to get something done.

“If we lay off, their attention will move to dealing with problems elsewhere in the county where people are making more noise,” she said.

“Things seem to be going very slowly and the latest we are being told is that experts are looking at the soil samples in connection with a temporary bridge.”

“If there is no bridge by the October half-term then there will be another turn for the worse because that will mark the end of British Summer Time and the arrival of the darker nights that will make the dangers even greater.”

But she says that residents are very concerned that the longer it takes to get work started on a temporary bridge the greater the risks of a delay even into next year.

“We fear a situation in which we are told that it is not possible to do the work during the autumn and winter because of the bad weather,” Celia Adams added.

“People know how local authorities work and that it is very easy for things to take a lot longer than promised.”