Following social media comments I recently followed up with the County Council the maintenance of the wooden bridge at the brook, Histon. Here is the response from the Council officer.

‘Thank you for your recent email concerning the footbridge across the ponds in Histon.

I have to report that the current repair installing FRP panels was a conscious decision.  We have had ongoing maintenance issues with timber here, as the bridge is located under an extensive tree canopy the original timber deck treads tended to be wet and slippery and the individual fixings would fail.  With our limited maintenance budgets we therefore now use modern low maintenance options where we can then ensure the continued use of the bridge safely at minimal future liability to the Council.

This is just for the decking elements, there is no intension of moving away from the white timber bridge railings, which I agree, add to the character of the area.‘

This may not be the response the community want to hear but it reflects the current limited budgets within the County Council. If there is significant concern about the new boards it may be possible to raise this with Parish Council who could in turn raise it with the County Council and discuss the possibility of funding a different approach.