Public vote to decide name of new Telford footbridge
Celebrated local figures are set to be commemorated as names are suggested for Telford’s new £10 million footbridge.
More than 200 pupils took part in a challenge to suggest names and a shortlist has now been drawn up for the public to vote on.
The shortlist include names such as Captain Webb, the first recorded person to swim the English Channel who was born in Dawley, Katherine Harley, president of the Shropshire branch of suffragists, Sir Gordon Richards’ Crossing (Jockey Bridge) considered the world’s greatest ever jockey from Donnington Wood and Wolves legend Billy Wright, the first footballer in the world to earn 100 international caps born at Belmont Road in Ironbridge.
The ‘Silver Swallow’ also made the shortlist for a pupil’s reference to the bridge’s design and colour.
Cabinet member for housing, transport & infrastructure, Councillor David Wright said:
“There was so much public pride shown for the borough and the footbridge during its construction and we wanted to carry this right through to the very end of the project with the official opening and naming.
“There are so many iconic figures from the area it only seemed right to honour some of these along with the imaginative names from school pupils and let the public decide.
“There are six weeks to cast your vote so if you want to have a say then make sure you get your vote registered and let friends and family know to do the same.”
Visit http://www.telford.gov.uk/footbridgevote to cast your vote.
Voting closes on Friday, 30 August.
