Woman still in caravan two years after floods
Many locals have been forced to take long trips after the loss of the footbridge
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Wednesday, 08, Sep 2010 10:30
by Chris Malone
A former BBC broadcaster has been living in a caravan on her land for two years after flooding enveloped her home and destroyed a footbridge that provided her access to the village across the river.
According to the Northern Echo, Eileen Carr's only means of getting basic supplies now involves making a nine-mile round trip from her home on the bank of the River Derwent to nearby Consett.
Iron Bridge, which allowed her to cross the river, was swept away in September 2008 and a number of disagreements with the local council have held up its replacement.
The council reportedly has another bridge ready to be erected, but claimed it could not put it in the same spot due to it breaching the privacy of a neighbour.
It then offered Ms Carr £200 for a patch of land on which it wants to build a jetty, even though the 59-year-old says an independent evaluation valued it at £4,000.
A further disagreement over the amount the local authority wishes to pay to rent land for plant machinery has held up the process even more.
Meanwhile, the Daily Post has revealed that caravan enthusiasts in north Wales have been given free breakfasts to encourage them to buy local produce