Work starts on relocating Winsford War Memorials

Work on the refurbishment and relocation of Winsford’s town centre war memorials is beginning on Monday 19th February.

The work will be carried out by an experienced restoration specialist and stonemason supervised by Kier Construction. The two war memorials will be carefully dismantled, cleaned, restored and reassembled using specialist equipment.

The memorials will be relocated to a new public square in front of the Winsford Library. Residents and visitors will benefit from improved and increased space around them and will be installed at surface level to provide better access for all. Some elements such as the bronze plaques will be sent away for specialist cleaning and restoration and other sections will be rebuilt using new stone to replace damaged sections. The benches that are currently next to the war memorials will also be relocated to the new square.

Winsford Town Council, the Royal British Legion and the local Diocese have been consulted and fully informed about the forthcoming works. The relocation will be completed later this year. Planning is underway to hold a rededication service for the war memorials in the summer at the new location when the new square is opened to the public.

The relocation of the war memorials is part of the Council-led £22 million regeneration of Winsford town centre, funded by the Council and the Government’s Future High Street Fund. It is the biggest investment in the town centre shopping area since the 1960s, made possible by the Council’s acquisition of the site in 2018. The redevelopment involves the demolition of some existing buildings and the construction of new and improved spaces for businesses, with a new 168-space car park alongside improvement to walking, cycling access and dedicated cycle storage. New open public spaces are being created for pop-ups, events and visiting attractions, with more green space in the town centre than ever before, creating a relaxing and pleasant environment to enjoy.

The regeneration works are progressing well, with the new Costa Coffee unit expected to be handed over to Costa for its fit-out to the operator in the Spring. Work is expected to commence on the B&M superstore’s steel structure in late Spring/early Summer once all the groundwork and foundations have been completed.

As part of the works on the car park area, new temporary pedestrian walkways will be put in place in the coming weeks to allow work to continue safely behind the repositioned hoardings and fencing. The new routes will be fully signposted to make sure that people can still easily visit the shopping centre, Winsford Market, Asda, Vale House Resource Centre and Winsford Library. The Council appreciates the patience of visitors to the town centre during this time.

Councillor Nathan Pardoe, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Regeneration and Digital Transformation, said: 

“I am delighted that work has now started to refurbish and relocate the war memorials and relocate the benches as part of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s regeneration works. They will be part of the new town centre public square, which will be a better environment for people to pay their respects and be a fitting tribute to all those who served.

“Until now, Cheshire West and Chester Council has been able to maintain safe access to the memorials during construction works because of their importance to the town. While the refurbishment and relocation takes place access will not be possible, but this work will be completed later this year ahead of a rededication service for the war memorials in the summer.

“The new public square will be a space Winsford can be proud of, particularly during the well-attended Remembrance Sunday service.”

Sarah Morton, Regional Director for Kier Construction North & Scotland said:

“We know how important and significant these war memorials are to the local community in Winsford. We are really pleased to be able to start works on their refurbishment and relocation to help improve access and create a better space for people to pay their respects to those who gave service and made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.”

Further information on the regeneration of Winsford town centre, including the latest aerial footage of the site, can be found on the Council website: 

Winsford Town Centre | Cheshire West and Chester Council

Pictured - Winsford War Memorials prior to relocation.