THE cenotaph at Bridge Foot will be improved after potential plans to move it to a new location were shelved.

Warrington Borough Council had been investigating whether to move the memorial after veterans in the town had called for an easier accessible monument for them to pay their respects.

But at a full council meeting last night deputy council leader Clr Mike Hannon, who is also chairman of the Armed Forces and First World War commemoration task group, said the council would instead make sure the current site is well maintained and improve access.

It came after the War Memorials Trust said it did not back the plan to move it to a new location.

The trust told the council: "War Memorials Trust believes that, where possible, a war memorial should be preserved in its original location. The trust only supports the relocation of a war memorial if its current position is putting the memorial at risk or if it is no longer accessible to the public for commemoration. It is important to think seriously about whether your war memorial needs to be relocated."

Clr Hannon added: “We are also aware that any potential relocation would need to be carried out very carefully to ensure the cenotaph remained intact during any potential move.

"Experience elsewhere shows that until a project is underway, it is not always possible to identify all the potential risks around the foundations and structure associated with removing the memorial.

 

“The task group looked at other potential options around the site, particularly associated with the new Bridge Street development, where we could consider developing a more suitable pedestrianized area to allow better access to the memorial.

"The key point being, that from experience elsewhere, we need to ensure that decisions made by the current generation are the right ones for future generations when the area around the memorial may change to accommodate changing opportunities and priorities within the town.

 

“In our considerations, we have placed a great emphasis on making sure we respect the past. There was a very good reason why war memorials were sited at the centre of towns and cities – so that future generations would have a constant reminder of the many sacrifices made."