Replacement bridge to reopen parts of town park

The original wooden bridge had to be fenced off when it became unsafe

Parts of a town park, which were off-limits to visitors after a wooden bridge fell into disrepair, will be opened up again after a successful bid for funding.

The Friends of Telford Town Park said the £10,400 from the Lottery's community fund would help pay for a replacement for the Crannog bridge, which was built in the 1990s.

It said there would be new concrete plinths to support the 7m (23ft) steel and plastic replacement, which will be delivered assembled.

Adrian Smith, chair of the Friends group, said: "It is something the Friends have wanted to do but did not have the funds, and needed to employ professional services to complete."

The bridge closed 18 months ago, but the trust said it had been in a bad state for a while.

The project to replace the bridge will cost £14,800, with the remaining funding coming from Telford and Wrekin Council and the Friends group itself.

The word Crannog is a Celtic word meaning "man-made island" and it refers to an area of the town park where visitors can study wildlife.

The Friends helped to fund the original bridge. Mr Smith said the replacement work was "part of a wider major project by the Friends to renovate the whole of the Crannog and Grange Pool area".

The project has been ongoing for a number of months and also includes the clearing of pathways around Grange Pool, the installation of new benches and tables, and the creation of a bird feeding area and hide.

There have also been improvements to a nearby car parking area, the creation of butterfly feeding stations and bird boxes around the area and the planting of new bushes and trees.