Telford footbridge officially opened during Princess Anne visit
Telford's multi-million pound footbridge was viewed and officially 'opened' during Princess Anne's visit to the borough.
As well as visiting the Silver Swallow footbridge, which was completed in November 2018, the Princess also made time to thank the Friends of the Town Park volunteers who were honoured with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service earlier this year.
The footbridge, funded by a Department for Transport grant that Telford & Wrekin Council bid for and won, links Telford Central Railway Station with the town centre and spans two dual carriageways and a main railway line.
The official opening by the Princess Royal was also attended by Telford mayor Councillor Amrik Jhawar, official representatives and council cabinet members, the bridge design and construct project group and Charlotte Toogood – the school pupil who chose the bridge’s Silver Swallow name, which won a public vote.
Princess Anne viewed and discussed the footbridge and its complex construction before unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the bridge’s formal naming.
The Princess Royal then visited the Chelsea and Maxell Gardens in Telford Town Park.
There Her Royal Highness met the Friends of Telford Town Park volunteers group, which recently received the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.
The Princess Royal took a guided tour of the gardens and thanked the group for its continuous work on conserving and improving the beauty spot.
She also planted a commemorative tree in the gardens, which last month played host to VJ Day celebrations, marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council Shaun Davies said: “The Princess Royal’s visit to Telford highlights the impressive progress our borough is making, driving innovative, award-winning projects and attracting major investment into business and infrastructure.
“The visit also shone a spotlight on the very strong and active community we have here, with so many volunteers working together to make our borough a great place to live in.
“It’s a richly deserved recognition for the Friends of the Town Park's tireless work in conserving this gem of a park, after being honoured with The Queen’s Award earlier in the year.”
