GLASGOW residents are lobbying for a bridge to be reopened giving them access to the city centre.

Polmadie Bridge, which links the Oatlands area to Glasgow Green, was closed off in May last year.

Tony Lawson,who lives in Oatlands, has set up an online petition calling for Glasgow City Council to repair the bridge.

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The 52-year-old said: “The bridge was blocked off overnight. There was no explanation or consultation so I wrote to the head of planning for information and was told it was safety reasons – but given no idea of how long it would be shut for.”

Polmadie Bridge, also known as Kay’s Bridge, closed on May 14 2015.

The bridge deck has been removed and the council has said the 60-year-old structure is not a priority.

For Oatlands residents, however, it is a priority. The new development was marketed as walking distance from the city centre, via Glasgow Green, and the loss of the bridge means this is no longer the case.

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Mr Lawson added: “We have a long detour to get across the river.”

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “While restrictions on river users and the walkway along the riverbanks have been lifted, we appreciate local residents who previously used the bridge to access recreation in Glasgow Green are bearing the brunt.

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“We continue to explore all funding possibilities to replace the Polmadie bridge deck.”