The new piece of art created by artist Jennie Moncur will be installed on the Princes Drive railway bridge west of Leamington Spa station which is currently being repaired and refurbished by Network Rail. The artwork project is amongst a suite of improvements to the public realm being coordinated by the Council in preparation for welcoming spectators to next summer’s Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Culture, Tourism and Leisure Councillor Liam Bartlett said:

“It had already been identified by Network Rail that this railway bridge was in need of repairs and improvement, but as it’s so visually prominent as you enter Leamington Spa, we have seized the opportunity to work with Network Rail to create something unique providing an uplift to the area and a warm welcome to visitors.”

“First impressions will be important as we play host to a worldwide audience as an official venue for the Lawn Bowls and Para Bowls competitions and also the cycle road races both of which will take place in this area. We are however mindful of the delays and road closures incurred and thank local people for their understanding and patience while this and other projects are taking place.”

Jennie Moncur was selected to work on the project given her previous successful designs for railway bridges in other parts of the country. She is creative director of furniture company Vitsœ, whose headquarters’ sit adjacent to the bridge, and who have funded Jennie’s design.

Jennie Moncur said:

“It has been a pleasure working with the team at Warwick District Council. They have been hugely supportive of my design ideas for this gateway site. I hope the scheme for the bridge will offer visitors a fresh welcome to Leamington Spa, as well as adding a little cheer to the local daily commute for years to come.”

The bridge refurbishment and repairs project which includes the road and pedestrian access is being largely funded by Network Rail who are contributing an estimated £740k towards the cost of the project. Warwick District Council is providing up to £121k from its Service Transformation Fund to cover the additional time and costs associated with the installation of the artwork.

Denise Wetton, Director of Network Rail’s Central route, added:

“It’s great to be working with Warwick District Council and Jennie Moncur to improve this key gateway to Leamington Spa ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“The scale of the work means there is an impact on the road running underneath the railway while it’s completed, but the revamped bridge will look amazing for local residents and businesses and the thousands of people who will travel to the town during the Games.”