A VILLAGE is celebra-ting after a local authority agreed to alter access to a controversial 500,000 footbridge dubbed "highly dangerous" to disabled people.

Blaenau Gwent council is to make St Paul's footbridge in Cwm wheelchair and pushchair friendly following a high-profile campaign by local residents.

They were outraged that the bridge - part of the project to build a relief road through the village - had a ramp on one side allowing wheelchair access but steep steps on the other side making it impossible for the disabled to get off the bridge on that side.

Alun Thomas, of the Disability Rights Commiss-ion, said in June last year it was "at best, a waste of money and at worst, highly dangerous for disabled people".

The council have now agreed to rectify the design error by replacing the steps on the eastern side with a ramp in the spring of this year.

The remedial work, which will soon go out to tender, will cost up to 50,000. It is hoped the funds will come from the Assembly transport grant for the Cwm Relief Road project.

Councillor Gill Clark, executive member for highways and transportation, said: "I'm pleased that we have been able to overcome the difficulties faced in making the footbridge more accessible to disabled users.

"We have worked in partnership with the Disability Rights Commission in endeavouring to reach a solution which offers the best use of the space and terrain available."

Robert Brain, chairman of the Cwm Welfare and Tenants Association, said: "This is great news and I'm going to spread the word in the village. We played hell about this and it is a feather in the cap for the people of Cwm.

"I'm over the moon. I'm grateful to the South Wales Argus for reporting on this."