A footbridge will remain closed while it undergoes ‘extensive’ repairs despite backlash from residents who have mourned the loss of a vital route.

The Temple Footbridge, part of the Thames Path that provides a crossing upstream of Temple Lock near Marlow into Berkshire, was closed by the Environment Agency (EA) in May after it was deemed unsafe for pedestrians.

A representative for the EA has now released an update on its ongoing review of the structure, laying out plans to commence an “extensive” repairs project without a definite timescale.

Back in May, it was revealed that the structure had experienced rapid deterioration and Marlow resident Steve Tilbury, who spoke to crewmembers tasked with putting barriers around the bridge, told the Free Press that part of the structure had “completely fallen away”, leaving a “sizeable hole” that posed a serious risk to anyone crossing on foot.

In a briefing note published earlier this month, the EA said reviews had indicated that no short-term remediation effort would be effective but there were hopes that a refurbishment of the bridge’s decayed elements could offset the need for a complete replacement.

The note read: “Refurbishment of the decayed elements of the bridge is still likely to be an extensive project and will require the temporary dismantling of some bridge sections.

“This is likely to be the quickest and most affordable option for bringing it back into safe use, but we need to be clear that this is yet to be fully determined.

“We first need to engage an engineering contractor to develop a refurbishment proposal and determine the associated costs.

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“We can then seek to secure the funding needed from the government and develop our plan to carry the work out. At present, we cannot put a timescale on this.”

The spokesperson for the Environment Agency also said that an ongoing programme of inspections, maintenance and repairs funded by the government had enabled the bridge, which was opened in 1989, to remain functional “beyond its estimated design life”.

A campaign group was formed in July to protest the closure of the structure, with one member, Karl Matthews, telling the Free Press that the recommended diversion route along Marlow Road and Bisham Road before rejoining the Thames Path at The Causeway in Marlow was “dangerous” and on a “narrow path with many cars racing past”.

The spokesperson said the Environment Agency had received complaints about the alternative route but added that it had been approved by the responsible local authority and recommended that pedestrians concerned about their safety find a different diversion.

Mr Matthews submitted a petition to the central government on July 13 requesting support in finding a “speedy solution for all walkers of the Thames Path” and to “help the Environment Agency appreciate our concern about the loss of this amenity”.

The petition was rejected because it was deemed to require “action on a local level” and failed to “call for specific action from the UK government or the House of Commons”.