Ottery resident Josefina Gori writes for the Herald.

The Coleridge Footbridge in Ottery has sustained significant damage from a fallen tree, making it unlikely to reopen this year. This news has highlighted the importance of acknowledging the vision of those involved in the project 20 years ago who thought of the need to create this bridge not only to encourage more walking and cycling in the town but also to improve the safety of King's School pupils as it takes them off the narrow Barrack Road pavement to and from the town centre.

Glyn Dobson, Mayor of Ottery St Mary from 2007 to 2018 and head of the project right from the beginning, revealed the initial steps they took. He said, "It was the first major project I did as Mayor after reading that the council had been trying for 15 years to get the land. I approached Lord Coleridge with the then Town Clerk Judith Reynolds, and he agreed to sell it. The council purchased a field to enable the bridge to be built with the idea of landing the bridge on the old factory site, as it was thought Tesco was going to build there. But, they failed to get planning permission, so we had to build over Lord Coleridge's land after he kindly gave permission."

The construction of the Coleridge Bridge had a budget of £990,000, with funding from a mixture of council money, the lottery fund, and the Department for Transport, as well as contributions of £200,000 from Sainsbury's, more than £100,000 from the Thorne Park Estate, and Sustrans, the biggest contributor to the project with over half the cost.

Clarkson & Woods, the Ecological Consultants, worked with East Devon District Council and Sustrans to assist in the design and implementation of the bridge. They prepared a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) approved by statutory bodies and relayed it to the project team on the commencement of work. The plan included various environmental protection measures for protected species and ecological features, particularly preventing the spread of Himalayan balsam. Several bat boxes were installed on the trees along the river bank to enhance roosting habitat within the area for bats. The project was nominated for the South West small civil engineering project 2012.

The newly named 'Coleridge Bridge,' which stretches over 70 meters, was opened on the 29th of August 2011, after Mayor Glyn Dobson cut the ribbon. Reverend Tim Treanor was on hand to bless the cycleway and footbridge. Charlie Plowden from East Devon District Council was the master of ceremonies, accompanied by resident Anitra Lockwood, the first person to cross the bridge after winning a competition with the Town Council. After a search to find the bridge's name, hers was plucked from a hat of the people who had suggested naming it after Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Dozens of Ottery residents walked over the bridge after the opening before decamping to the Land of Canaan for a celebratory party. The local Women's Institute had a cake stall, and the Rotary Club held a duck race from the new bridge along the Otter to the Millennium Footbridge.

The Coleridge Bridge is not just a mere emblem of a community’s endeavour to maintain the fitness and security of its members, particularly the youngsters. It is also an emblematic representation of a civil engineering venture that has brought pride to the town and a testament to the ongoing worries of its inhabitants about environmental preservation and their readiness to support a worthwhile project financially.

Since 2011, the King's School children have also been fortunate to have a bridge that ensures their safety and allows them to enjoy the beautiful surroundings while returning from school. Therefore, the responsible authorities must reinstate that feeling of security as soon as possible and not let it be another bridge lost in the mists of financial restrictions.