Councillor assured war memorial restoration project will be completed ahead of Remembrance Sunday
Council officials have assured that the planned restoration of four war memorials across the district will be completed on November 6, ahead of Remembrance Sunday services.
MEMBERS of Derry City and Strabane District Council have been assured the planned restoration of four war memorials across the district will not be completed in time for Remembrance Sunday.
UUP councillor, alderman Derek Hussey, had voiced concerns at a committee last month.
Members of October’s Environment and Regeneration Committee received an update report council’s ongoing war memorial restoration, as well as details of a complementary community animation programme, as part of the SEUPB-funded PEACEPLUS Programme.
The project involves conservation-led maintenance and environmental improvements to four district war memorials at the Diamond in the city, and in the centres of Castlederg, Sion Mills and Strabane.
An officers’ report noted that the consultancy team, Consarc, were appointed to develop technical designs to restore each of the four memorials, while and a specialist contractor, Irish Stone, was appointed in July.
The total contract cost of Irish Stone for the capital element of the programme is £211,950 and works are scheduled to complete on November 6, ahead of Remembrance services on November 8.
Alderman Hussey said contractors were working under a “very tight time-line” and asked if council was confident the works would be complete by November 6.
“Because it is a finite deadline, it’s not one that we can put back, and the reason is obviously Remembrance Sunday,” he said.
Director of Environment and Regeneration, Karen Phillips, said she has been assured that there is "absolutely no doubt" that the works will be completed on time, adding: “We had to work on the time-line due to some other events in the city centre, which we did, and certainly we are assured that this will be ready on time.