Council bosses will apply for a grant in a bid to break the deadlock over the future of an abandoned footbridge.

Halstead Town Council is set to apply for funding from Essex County Council’s Community Initiatives Fund, which sees grants up to £20,000 paid out to organisations.

If secured, the cash would be put towards some of the cost of repairing the footbridge which connects Sainsbury’s car park to Rosemary Lane.

Negotiations over who will fund repairs have been taking place for several months between the town council, Braintree Council, highways and bridge owners the Crown Estate.

The town council is prepared to take on responsibility for the bridge, but only once funding for repairs has been secured.

The bridge was closed by highways bosses in 2014 due to safety concerns and latest estimates suggest repairs could cost £47,000.

A spokesman for Essex Highways said: “Unfortunately no clear way forward for this private bridge has yet been agreed. The Braintree Local Highway Panel decided to prioritise spending on other highway improvements.

“Essex County Council’s Highways Structures Team have offered to design the necessary refurbishment work, but a funding package to achieve this is still to be negotiated.

“Essex Highways inspectors continue to regularly monitor the footbridge and will continue to provide this service.”

Speaking during a meeting on Monday, Halstead mayor Andrew Munday said fixing the bridge was a priority.

He added: “It’s something that is very high up on people’s list of wants.

“You cannot actually do the whole of the Colne Valley Walk without crossing that footbridge, so it really needs to be sorted.”