The Coombes bridge in Halesowen, has had a major refresh thanks to partnerships coming together in the community. The Mayor was on hand to take at the made over bridge.
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00:00So we're here at Coombs Bridge, Halesowen, and it's looking very nice and fresh.
00:05What's been going on guys? Mrs. Mayor, isn't it? Hilary?
00:08Right, well what's happening is Coombswood Canal Trust and Halesowen Abbey Trust,
00:14who actually built the bridge, have all come together with Dudley Council and after 1993 it's just had a total repaint and re-coating.
00:26And it looks absolutely fantastic and there's also a storyboard over there, so anybody visiting us here on Chancel Way can go over there and read the history of the bridge.
00:36How old is the bridge then do we think? Originally it was 1798, it was a brick bridge and it was demolished in the war as an anti-invasion measure.
00:49German troops were getting across the canal to the factories making ammunitions, so it's been without.
00:55It was 1943, knocked down, and it was 1993 it was rebuilt by the Abbey Trust.
01:03How come the Abbey Trust ended up building a bridge over the canal?
01:07Because we renovated all these footpaths. This was a former landfill site and we reinstated all the paths.
01:13It's a lost link isn't it to the Starr Valley and to Netherton and Dudley.
01:18So you represent the Coombswood... Coombswood Canal Trust. That's the one. I'm the chairman.
01:25It must be nice to see it looking so pristine again. It's absolutely first rate.
01:30Sikes have done a lovely job, it's taken us a lot of pushing and particularly Roy has taken a lot of time and trouble to get it to the stage of completion.
01:41We're very pleased with it. It looks right and you've got a lovely community at Coombswood haven't you? Very good, very good.
01:48Well fantastic work to all involved in the project guys and we'll let you enjoy it for years to come.
01:53We're going back for a little boat trip back. Tea and refreshments.
01:58Oh fantastic, nice little boat trip Mrs Mayor. Oh yeah. It's all good isn't it.
02:02Not for the first time I've been along here but this is a really special time. Definitely, thank you guys.