A HUGE land bridge which would span one side of the planned Lamberhurst By-pass to the other on the National Trust-owned Scotney Castle estate, is expected to be the subject of a public inquiry. Tunbridge Wells council has objected to the National Trust's £3 million bridge plan - although it has indicated it may be prepared to reconsider if modifications are made to construction and design details.

These cover aspects such as the depth of soil, the amount of maintenance required and lighting. The bridge varies in width from 30mts to 80mts. John Haynes, Tunbridge Wells director of operational services, said that a public inquiry was 'a strong probability' with the onus on the regional highway authority to come up with solutions.

He added "It is not just the size. Three million pounds is a lot of money when we would like to see more available for traffic calming measures once it is built."

Only a few land bridges are known to exist in this country - they are more predominant on the Continent. Work on the by-pass is scheduled to begin next summer.

Kent County Council highways advisory board has objected to the bridge, labelling it 'an environmental disaster' - as has Tunbridge Wells borough councillor, Roy Bullock (Con), who lives in Lamberhurst. He said: "At a cost of £3 million , I don't see it being value for money or making any positive contribution. A public inquiry looks almost certain."

Paul Pontone, National Trust marketing manager, said: "The Trust believes the land bridge to be of significant benefit for the local community, of which we form a part, as well as of benefit to our heritage and the environment. Therefore it is something we are pursuing. We understand and support the need for a by-pass which will remove the vast majority of through traffic."