A community in the U.K. may seek to usurp the Capilano Suspension Bridge’s claim to fame as the combined longest and highest pedestrian rope bridge in the world.

A British community paper reported that Barnard Castle in northern England could see the construction of a roughly $1-million rope bridge to bolster tourism in the market town.

Sue Kaffka, director of marketing for the Capilano Suspension Bridge, says an interested party from Barnard Castle contacted her five or six years ago.

“He was really excited about doing something like this (the Cap bridge),” said Kaffka. “I think they want to have some sort of tourist draw and certainly the bridge is our reason for being and the main attraction – because it’s high and it’s long and it is in a beautiful canyon setting but also because we provide all the other (tourist attractions).”

The North Vancouver foot bridge measures 137 metres in length and hangs 70 metres above the Capilano Canyon.

Kaffka said even if the Barnard Castle bridge does steal the prestigious title of longest-highest pedestrian rope bridge, the Cap Bridge crew won’t sweat it because the attraction is “more than just a bridge.”

“I’m not sure when a person arrives here in Vancouver, they think, ‘Oh, I have to go to Capilano (Suspension Bridge) because it’s the highest in the world,’” Kaffka said. “It tells a lot of history. It has the culture . . . it’s really sort of a complete one-stop-shop if you’re coming to B.C. You can learn a lot.”

Stacy Chala, communications manager for the bridge and the Capilano Group of Companies outdoorsy attractions around B.C. and Alberta owned by Nancy Stibbard, said the Cap suspension bridge sees about 700,000 visitors every year. She said 85 per cent of those people are tourists from outside North America. In that other 15 per cent, she said, most are locals.

Admission for the park ranges between $10 and $29.25.

One U.K. paper reported that Barnard Castle rope bridge supporters hoped the potential attraction could draw 150,000 visitors to their community each year, possibly attracting $4.5 million to their local economy.

Representatives connected to the Barnard Castle Vision, a group spearheading the U.K. rope bridge project, could not respond by Outlook press time.