00:00Bristol's iconic landmarks are set to play a bigger role in the city's future as new investment and restoration projects get underway.
00:10The Clifton Suspension Bridge, one of the southwest's most photographed sites, will undergo essential maintenance work this autumn,
00:20with the Clifton end of the bridge due to close overnight for three weeks.
00:25Engineers say that the work is vital to protect the 159-year-old structure from its long-term weather damage,
00:32with funding coming from the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust and the Department for Transport.
00:39But what Bristol monuments are locals really wanting to stand the test of time? Let's chat to them to find out.
00:46I was walking the dogs up near Brandon Hill, and obviously there's that tower at the top, and that's really, really nice.
00:54Yeah, I used to go up there when I was younger, so it's nice to go back there now I'm a bit older and spend some time up there.
00:59Oh, and the boat and the dots?
01:05Oh, well, obviously the suspension bridge is the most obvious one. I suppose the Cabot Tower is another one.
01:15Down by the harbour side. There's plenty to pick from.
01:20Meanwhile, a Cabot Tower scaffolding has gone up for the first time in over a decade.
01:27A Bristol City Council begins a £400,000 restoration programme.
01:32The 105-foot tower, which has stood on Brandon Hill since 1897, has faced complaints over crumbling stonework and accessibility issues.
01:41Council officers say that the goal is to reopen the viewing platform to the public by next spring, ahead of the tower's 130th anniversary.
01:50Local heritage groups have welcomed the move, but called for a clearer long-term strategy to protect Bristol's lesser-known historic sites.
01:59We should be proud of the city. It's done a lot. I keep hearing people trying to put this down, but as far as I'm concerned, white Londoners come here to live, then complain about it.
02:14It's all much better in London, but they stay in Bristol.
02:18I think definitely. I think especially if there are kind of parks associated or near it as well, I think that's a really nice thing. Definitely.
02:27And why do you think it's important for us to kind of maintain these iconic tourist attractions?
02:33Well, historically they're very interesting, but they're also things which will bring visitors in, which is good for the city, obviously, and for the general region, I think.
02:46So it would be a good idea to look after them. I'm not entirely certain that building towers in the middle of the city is a good idea, but there you go. That's a different question, I suppose.
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