£34,000 funding bid for bridge art project
A main gateway into Stourbridge could be given a new lease of life if a plan to secure more than £30,000 in funding is given the go-ahead.
Dudley Council officers are seeking approval from councillors to submit the funding application to Enovert Community Trust, an environmental body which supports community and environmental projects.
The cash will go towards the delivery of the £34,800 Stour Bridge project – a gateway artwork increasing the prominence of the River Stour at the point where it is crossed by the highway at the A491 Ring Road.
The rest of the money will come from the Stourbridge Rotary Club and from a funding pot allocated for projects by the town's two community forums, with Transitions Stourbridge also heavily involved in the scheme.
The artwork – as well as recognising the importance of the Stour Bridge and the River Stour – will nod to the historic connection between the town and the Royal family. It will be placed on a route once travelled by Prince Charles, the future King Charles II, in 1651.
It will also make reference to the Queen's visit to Stourbridge back in the 1950s.
Councillor Ian Kettle, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said: "This is a project that was first mooted 14 years ago, but nothing came of it until it was brought back up again in 2017 as a way to improve the Lower High Street area in Stourbridge.
"Hopefully we can get the funding, it will look great and improve one of the key gateways into the town, attracting more footfall into Stourbridge and also along a beautiful canal route."
