WORK to repair the town’s iconic Golden Gates will cost the council around £526,000, it has been confirmed.

The restored Grade II* listed structure was unveiled at Warrington Walking Day in June following months of work by specialists.

The extensive operation was carried out to ‘secure the asset for the benefit of future generations’.

The council was urged to act after chunks of the historic gates fell to the ground in February 2017.

Council chiefs say they are an ‘iconic symbol’ of the borough and play an ‘important part’ in its history.

But it has been confirmed that the work will cost more than half a million pounds.

A spokesman said: “They are truly unique, with none others like them in the world, so it was vital that work was undertaken to protect and restore this key part of our cultural heritage.

“The current forecast cost of the restoration project is £526,000.

“A conservation-based approach, with specialist contractors, was taken to ensure the restoration work complied with national and local planning policy, as well as nationally recognised conservation guidance.

“This guaranteed that the work carried out has preserved and enhanced the gates, ensuring them many more years as a much-loved symbol of Warrington’s civic pride.”

The Warrington Guardian also asked the authority when it believes they will need improvements on this scale again.

The spokesman added: “There are a number of factors which could affect the condition of the gates in the coming years, so it is not possible to specify exactly when they will need to be refurbished again.

“However, the high quality of the conservation work carried out means that we expect it to be many years before any further work is required.”

Presented to the town in 1895, the Golden Gates are an iconic symbol of Warrington.

The council said they were last repaired and repainted in 1978-79.