£10,000 refurbishment for war memorial

STOCKTON HEATH’S War Memorial is to be cleaned, refurbished and protected from future deterioration at a cost of almost £10,000.
Work will start at the junction of London Road and Ellesmere Road in the week beginning Monday, March 4 and will take about two weeks.
The Parish Council has agreement for a grant of up to £3,200 from the War Memorial Trust and will itself commit a further £3,200 to fund the cleaning of the memorial and its surrounding paving, using superheated steam – a method endorsed by the War Memorial Trust.
This will remove algae growth and  discoloration from air pollutants.
All masonry joints on the memorial and surrounding paving will be cleaned out and repointed.
In addition to these works, a further £3,470 will be paid by the Parish Council for a sill to be introduced to the World War II dedication stone, mounted behind the memorial on the brick wall, to protect this stonework from further deterioration due to rainfall.
Clerk to the council Lara Jacob said: “During the works, the area will be protected behind a barrier and screen.   There should be no disruption to traffic, but pedestrians should be aware and take care when walking along London Road and Ellesmere Road.”
Lloyd and Smith, a specialist restoration and conservation company based in Oldham, will be undertaking the works, which were recommended by Lloyd Evans Pritchard, a Manchester-based chartered architect practice, when they surveyed the condition of the memorial in September 2016.