Golden Wolves Bridge

Posted Thursday 09 July, 2009 in News

An iconic old golden gate bridge stretching across the Ring Road in Wolverhampton could become a reality under ambitious plans unveiled today.

A group of Bridgnorth-based architects has come up with the concept and dubbed it the “Wolves Bridge”, saying it would be ideal for supporters heading to and from Molineux. They believe the structure would cost between £1million and £2m and funding has yet to be found. But the firm, Johnson Design Partnership, say they are considering putting in a planning application to Wolverhampton City Council and are keen to know what people think of the idea.

The planned bridge is currently golden-coloured in a reflection of Wolves colours, but this is subject to change as the design is still at the concept phase.

Associate architect Matt Spinks is involved in the design. The 29-year-old lifelong Wolves fan said the idea was for the bridge to seem like it was “floating” across Ring Road St Peter’s. He said he felt it could offer an alternative for fans making their way to Molineux. “I always park the other side of the city centre to go to the ground,” he said today. “We just thought Wolverhampton needed something iconic that would put it on the map and help the supporters who can’t get to the subway to cross a busy road safely. “We are not trying to take people away from using the subway – it could be used to divide home and away fans.” He said the design had already been put onto Wolves supporter websites and he felt the general consensus had been positive.

Councillor Neville Patten, leader of Wolverhampton City Council, said: “Quite honestly, I think it’s a brilliant idea. It would open up that part of town and make life easier for a lot of Wolves fans.”

Wolves spokesman Matt Grayson said: “We’re always willing to listen to new ideas.”

32 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reviews

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We love this house and it is a testament to your skills that it works so well for us. I am hoping that you will be able to help us again when (if) we succeed in buying the run down (and badly designed) bungalow we want – I will be in touch soon, I hope
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Richard and Jenn

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It had taken eighteen months for us to decide that we would re-locate to the ‘Strettons’. Moving house for us meant also moving an established ceramics and painting studio, we were concerned about finding a property within our budget that would also have the appropriate space.
It was obvious from our early property searches that finding the perfect ‘fit’ was very unlikely, so we took the opportunity to visit an open information weekend run by Johnson Design Partnership. We were immediately encouraged by what we saw and once we had purchased the property, we invited Johnson Design to visit and take a look.
Our original idea was to do a loft conversion as planning permission was already in place, but after a couple of exploratory meetings it became clear that this was unlikely to exploit the position of the property to its best advantage or indeed answer our need for comfortable bespoke studio space. These design conversations helped us focus on the true potential of the property, gradually the idea of a glass link between the original house and separate garage emerged as the way forward.
The final result is overwhelmingly better than we imagined it might be. ‘The Link ‘ has already become a creative centre, providing a light and airy space connecting inside and outside areas from both studio and house; not only is it a functional dining and living area but a truly peaceful and contemplative place to soak up the stunning changes in light of the sky and the landscape which surround us, but also a space to dream and imagine – a painting or ceramic form in the making?
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Mr and Mrs Farrell - Stretton Hills, Shropshire

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“A definite recommend! Matt and his team have worked tirelessly with us on our project over the last 3 years. I think it’s stretched everyone and every aspect of the planning process, matt and his team have been happy to research, find and negotiate tweaks throughout to get planning permission done.”
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Wendy H

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“We have just finished an extension to our kitchen and dealt with Matt at JDP from the beginning to the end of the project. He was very professional throughout and I would recommend anyone to use JDP for their build project.”
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Richard Hilton

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I thoroughly enjoyed working through the design process with Johnson Design Partnership. They explained what was required each step of the way and achieved Planning Permission for my Paragraph 79 / House, first time! (Resolution to grant consent).
I would always recommend Johnson Design Partnership to anyone looking to create an Architecturally exciting project or indeed another successful paragraph 80 house.
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Simon Aldridge, Paragraph 79 House

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Once we found Johnson Design we didn’t consider looking anywhere else. They offer such a professional and comprehensive service which made the whole process of extending our house totally hassle and stress free. We had some brilliant designs which were exactly what we wanted and from there they helped us with all the small and big details and to find the right builders for us. They were on hand at any time to answer questions and queries for us and to communicate with the building company on our behalf. Their advice at every step was so helpful. Our double storey extension is now finished and we couldn’t be more happy with it.
We would highly recommend this team without reservation.
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Kat Williams, Wolverhampton

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We engaged Johnson Design 4 years ago at the start of a big renovation and new build project. Matt Spinks has always taken our ideas or vague notions of an idea and turned them into something innovative which is both attractive and practical. We were delighted with the final plans which went straight through planning permission, even though part of the project was a Grade 2 listed renovation. As a project manager Matt has also been first rate and thoroughly supportive. We would not hesitate to recommend Johnson Design.
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Lynda Hall. Rural Farmhouse Extension, Annexe and Garaging.

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We would recommend Johnson Design for those wanting to extend their home. They came up with an original concept and layout, moving the stairs was something we’d not even considered but it works really well. They then worked with us to accommodate our ideas, making the design collaborative. They talked us through the various stages of the process and explained everything, also because they handled everything it meant we didn’t need to get involved with the complexities of the planning process.
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Mr and Mrs Clary – Bridgnorth, Shropshire