THE campaign group aiming to get the Newport Transporter Bridge as internationally recognised as the Taj Mahal, the Egyptian Pyramid Fields and Statue of Liberty met again last week.
The Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge held a meeting at Newport Museum last Friday to discuss a joint application, with other transporter bridges in Middlesbrough and Warrington, for UNESCO World Heritage status and it was attended by Cadw’s Dr Kate Roberts.
David Hando, the group’s chairman, said: “I was delighted that Cadw came and gave their advice and they were very keen for the bridge to have special status.”
Because the bridge is in Wales, the application must be submitted to John Griffiths AM, the Minister for Culture and Sport, who will be able to forward the proposal to the British government.
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport will then need to submit it to UNESCO for consideration.
The plan for the bridges was first mooted in 2011.
A Cadw spokeswoman said: “The Grade I listed Newport Transporter Bridge is a familiar and much loved landmark for Newport residents. The proposal to develop an international bid for all the surviving transporter bridges of the world, including Newport, is interesting.
“Cadw would be willing to review the proposal as it develops and to discuss the matter with officials in the other countries.”
Jessica Morden MP, who was at the meeting, has said she will liaise with the MPs for Middlesbrough and Warrington about the bridges’ application.
She said: “A joint UNESCO bid is a great idea and one I’m fully supportive of.
It’s a long and complicated process and involves lots of inter Governmental collaboration.”
The group hopes an application can be made to coincide with next year’s 100th anniversary of the Puente Transbordador, a transporter bridge in Buenos Aries, Argentina.
Only 981 sites have World Heritage status.
Gwent’s sole representative is the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, which was awarded the accolade by UNESCO in 2000.
And 13 sites, such as the Lake District and the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, are currently on the UK’s tentative list.