CONCERN has been sparked after it was revealed that work on the replacement Dyfi Bridge at Machynlleth will not start until 2019 at the earliest.

It had been hoped that the scheme would start this year.

But the Cambrian News has learned that consultation responses are still being considered a whole year after they were sought - and there may need to be a public inquiry.

Draft orders and an environmental statement for the proposed scheme were published in the summer of 2017, to allow the public and other stakeholders the opportunity to formally express their views.

But despite being a year on, the Welsh Government has still not processed all the responses, the result of which will determine if a public local inquiry needs to be held.

Cllr Jim Honeybill said the fact that draft order responses were still only being “considered” meant that progress on the scheme had stalled.

He said: “I’d ask how long does it take to consider these things, as they’ve not moved on. I thought the scheme was supposed to start this year, but now we’re talking about next year.”

Cllr Michael Williams said: “The sooner it starts the better. The longer the delay, the more concern there is with people about whether the scheme will go ahead.”

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