Concerns have been raised by parents and governors of Plascrug School in Aberystwyth over an “absurd” proposal to build a footbridge over the school play area and onto Plascrug Avenue.

Ceredigion Council has released a video showing options for connecting paths for the new active travel route between Bow Street, Penrhyncoch and Aberystwyth.

These proposals include two options to replace the footbridge that crosses the railway line near Plascrug School and Aberystwyth Rugby Club.

The bridge, which has been in place since the 1990s, suffered storm damage four years ago, with a temporary scaffolding walkway installed.

The first option is to install a wider bridge at the existing location. The second is to build a new bridge across Plascrug School grounds.

But the group of worried parents are calling for the second option to be dropped, over fears it would impact the school’s main outdoor space – used by over 450 children each year for play and learning - while also creating safeguarding, health, and safety issues.

They are also concerned the plan will urbanise Plascrug Avenue – Aberystwyth’s largest green space which is widely used by the community – in a way that is unsympathetic to biodiversity and the local environment.

Andrew Mitchell, an Aberystwyth University professor and a parent at the school, said: I find it deeply concerning that building a bridge in and over the children's school ground is even being considered a viable option.

“The school ground is not just a vital space for play and recreation for the children, but also for delivering education for sustainability and connecting our future generations with the outdoors.

"As a parent it has been really encouraging to see how the school has prioritised and developed this aspect in recent years and how they have created a great outdoor space which caters for both learning and play. The idea of building a bridge straight through this space seems absurd to me."

Plascrug School governors are also calling for the bridge to stay at its current location.

Mike Allman, Chair of Governors, wrote to parents: "The Governors are supporting Option A - replacement of the existing bridge.

“This may cause short-term inconvenience and disruption as for a period of time there will be no bridge spanning the railway lines. However, we believe that having a bridge go over the school grounds will likely cause a permanent loss of part of the school grounds.

"The presence of the bridge may be imposing upon children playing on the playing fields and will likely lead to a loss of line of sight for staff supervising children at play times.

"We would urge all members of the school community to engage with the consultation process and if you share our concerns, we would encourage you to support Option A - replacement of the existing bridge."

Ceredigion County Council plans to hold a public consultation this summer, then apply for Welsh Government funding for the build.

Both options meet Welsh Government guidelines for accessibility, gradient, and width.