Campaigners for better rail access have been assured they will get a lift at Chippenham station.

But it will only give access to the platforms from the Cocklebury Road side of the railway.

There will be no lift on the other side of the railway, although space will be left at the Old Road side to install another lift tower should money become available.

Listed building consent was granted on November 13 by Wiltshire Council’s northern area planning committee. Permission to replace the footbridge built in 1899 was granted two years ago, but since then the proposed structure has had to be brought closer to the listed station building to make sure Network Rail owns all the land involved.

Wiltshire councillor Chris Caswill, who called in the application because of its design, said: “This has been a very difficult decision. I do understand the need for this lift and the alleviation of the problems people have crossing the railway line.

“Even Network Rail admits this isn’t a pretty proposal. It is a design made by engineers, not architects.”

The new bridge will be about three metres higher than the existing 6m high bridge. This will be sufficient to accommodate the planned electrification of the Great Western railway line.

The council’s conservation officer, who objected to the replacement bridge, said: “The proposed footbridge is far larger than the existing bridge and is utilitarian in its design.”

But accessibility was deemed more important than aesthetics and the committee voted unanimously for the new bridge.