London, Sept. 26: It has been described as a “billion-pound view”, but Stratford on Avon residents claim that plans to build a bridge over the river will destroy one of Shakespeare’s inspirations and cause harm to tourism.

Every year thousands of tourists take in the unspoilt view down the tree-lined river Avon from the town centre.

The Warwickshire county council, however, wants to build a new £2-million footbridge next to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and five renowned architects have drawn up plans.

The move has been met with dismay by protesters, who hoped to follow up their success in forcing an about-turn over plans to demolish the existing RSC theatre by persuading planners to scrap what they argue will be a blot on the landscape.

James Philpotts, from the pressure group, Stratford Voice, said: “This is going to completely destroy a very beautiful vista. It is what I call the billion-pound view. If these Philistines, and I use the term advisedly, have their way, that vista will be closed.

“I would say the letters pages in the local papers are four-to-one against it but the council is not listening. I feel we have to demonstrate that the electorate of Stratford do not want it. We are moving towards a poll of all 22,000 residents.”

Currently there is only one crossing point in Stratford, the Clopton bridge, which allows unspoilt views down the river.

The new foot-and-cycle bridge is part of an ambitious £7-million regeneration scheme called World Class Stratford and is backed by the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands. It is aimed at improving access from the recreation ground on the west bank to the theatres and town centre on the east.

Central to the project is a major overhaul of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s three theatres, two of which perch on the river bank. The intention was to ensure that Stratford remained a top-class tourist attraction, but the projects have provoked opposition at every stage.

After a bitter public debate, planners scrapped proposals to knock the theatres down, instead agreeing to a major overhaul on the same site. A decision on the bridge will be taken in November.