The grand opening of Haverfordwest’s £5.7million footbridge follows months of controversy as councillors have tried in vain to persuade Pembrokeshire taxpayers of its value to the county town.

The bridge is part of a ‘Heart of Pembrokeshire’ regeneration project for Haverfordwest, for which the council received £17,700,266 from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

In March, David Simpson, then Council Leader, called it “a good deal”, and when you look at the figures the council is working with, it’s easy to see why. £5.1m of the cost of the bridge (90 per cent) is externally funded, with PCC to provide the remaining £600,000.

Darren Thomas, the Council’s Director of Transport and the Environment had explained to Cabinet in spring 2024 that there were structural issues with the old footbridge.

The cost of a replacement like-for-like bridge would have been more than £900,000, and that would have involved losing the UK Government’s Levelling Up funding, leaving the council having to foot the bill for £1.1m already outlayed.

Over four days in May the bridge was delivered in sections, and on August 16 a specialist crane lifted it into position.

The new bridge is wider, so more accessible. Its distinctive steel design features robust side panels and a durable walking surface.

Cllr Rhys Sinnett has previously said there is a real belief the ‘signature’ bridge “will be a catalyst to help the regeneration of Haverfordwest,” but locals remain unimpressed, and have taken to social media to express their views.

Some have noted that the design seems out of place in the historic town; some raised safety issues (a mesh of rods has since been added to the side barriers); others have questioned constructing an “Instagrammable” bridge when other parts of the town are deteriorating as businesses close.

But the biggest concern is the high cost of the bridge, with demands for a price breakdown: “What could Withybush do with £5.7million?” “Think how many houses could have been built for that amount.”

Yes, it’s easy to see why councillors saw this a ‘no brainer’, with so much funding available. But their own figures demonstrate that a bridge could have been built for less than £1million.

“It’s a bridge, people, get over it!” punned one witty Facebook user. Since, ultimately, taxpayers are forking out for the Levelling Up Fund, people are right to ask if the bridge is really worth £5.7million.

Thomas Tudor, County Councillor for Haverfordwest’s ‘Castle Ward’ was present at the opening ceremony and his response to an invitation for comment arrived shortly after the above article was finalised.

Cllr Thomas Tudor said: “The cost of repairing the old foot bridge which was at the end of its life due to metal erosion from the inside would have cost the Council and the Tax payers of Pembrokeshire a considerable amount, £900k.

“With the current scheme the funding came from central government as part of the previous Conservative government’s Levelling Up Funding to the tune of £6 million for the entire project, bridge and plaza project with PCC having to contribute £540[k] which is cheaper than replacing the old footbridge.”