Should Warrington’s swing bridges get a heritage award?

ARE Warrington’s notorious swing bridges worthy of being nominated for a new heritage award?
The Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) has listed the bridges – bane of Warrington motorists for 100 years – as likely candidates for the newly established North West Civil Engineering Heritage Award.
ICE is urging Warrington people to nominate their favourite local work of classic civil engineering for the new award.
Any member of the public, any business or organisation in North West England or the Isle of Man can make a nomination for the award – and ICE invited Warrington’s residents and businesses to submit their nominations by December 13 simply by visiting www.ice.org.uk/NWawards and submitting a statement of up to 100 words explaining why this work of civil engineering deserves a Heritage Award.
Thomas Coon, a chartered civil engineer based in Warrington, said: “When you look around, you see that Warrington is a showcase of classic civil engineering.
“The Sankey Canal was arguably Britain’s first modern canal. The Crosfield Transporter Bridge is one of only three left in the UK and one of only 20 of its kind in the world.
“Latchford Locks and the Warrington Swing Bridges are all notable works of civil engineering that have benefited not just Warrington but the surrounding area for many decades.
“So we’re inviting local people, businesses and organisations to think about the civil engineering around them and how it has benefited people’s lives, and consider nominating a feature they think deserves a Heritage Award.”
To qualify for a Heritage Award, the work of civil engineering – which could include any infrastructure relating to transport, energy, water and sewerage, waste management, flood defences or structures such as stadiums, piers, bridges or similar – must be at least 70 years old.
Further information may be found at www.ice.org.uk/NWawards.
Nominations for the ICE North West 2016 Heritage Award close at midnight on December 13.  Judging will take place thereafter at a meeting of a panel assembled by ICE North West.