MAJOR flood damage could have been avoided if community concerns about a bridge were addressed - it has been claimed. 

Parts of Cumbria were badly flooded in December, one of which was the village of Backbarrow. 

On December 5 the River Leven burst its banks and flooded the Whitewater Hotel, 19 properties in the Lakeland Village and two cottages in Finsthwaite Lane, it also flooded the electricity sub station. 

The last time the river burst its banks causing severe flooding to the village was in 2009. 

Councillor Sue Sanderson, who sits on Cumbria County Council and South Lakeland District Council feels strongly that work now needs to be done to prevent this happening again. 

She said: "The actual bridge itself was damaged in 2009 so the council built the bridge walls taller and stronger. 

"At the time residents asked for the bridge to be re-designed and one of their ideas was for railings to be put up instead of the walls so if the river did rise up again it could flow through the bridge. 

"However there was also equal pressure about it being listed and it being an historical site." 

Cllr Sanderson explained that because the walls were "taller and stronger" this caused the bridge to act like a dam this time around. 

She said: "This time is has been worse as more properties have been affected and a lot more damage was caused. 

"There is a lot of concern here." 

After the flooding Cllr Sanderson arranged for MP Tim Farron to come to Backbarrow so he could talk to the residents and business owners affected. 

She said: "Since then Tim has promised his support."

Richard Guzinski, resort manager for the Lakeland Village, thinks that if the bridge had been re-designed after the 2009 flooding then the damage caused this time around wouldn't have been as bad. 

He said: "This could have been avoided. It's a disgrace. We are all on tenterhooks every time the river level rises or when we have a couple days of rain.

"Last time the walls of the bridge gave way. This time they didn't and this caused a bigger damming affect. I mean it was that bad that it washed away the foundations of an electric sub station which took the power of 80 properties." 

Work being done on the bridge is something that the staff at Whitewater Hotel feel passionately about. 

Operations manager Peter Chadwick was working on the night of December 5. 

He said: "The amount of water was so vast that the arch in the bridge was completely submerged by about 9pm and then it just kept on rising. 

"At the time we had a full restaurant which is on the same floor as the bridge. As soon as the river went over the walls the water came straight into the restaurant - it was quite frightening. 

"This has happened twice now so re-designing the bridge is something we support, it's something that needs to be done. 

"We don't want the same problem happening again in a few years."

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has said that he will "continue to lobby government for more funds" to help restore Cumbria after the flooding. 

He said: "The bridge in Backbarrow is very narrow, and has to deal with the huge quantity of water coming out of Windermere. It may be necessary to look at other engineering solutions to allow the water to get beyond the bridge more quickly. 

“Across Cumbria, there are a huge number of bridges and roads which require urgent repair, yet the government has only committed to giving £40million of the estimated £500million needed."

A spokesperson for Cumbria County Council said: “We are aware of local concerns about the bridge following flooding last month. 

"The bridge is a class 2 listed structure, which means it has special protection and only minor changes or adaptations can be made, and these would require permission from Historic England and consultation with other bodies. 

"However, we understand local concerns and we are committed to working with the local community to identify solutions to this issue. It’s important that any changes don’t weaken the bridge’s structural integrity and leave it at risk of damage in the future."