Work to repair Ledbury’s war memorial should finally get underway in August, according to the town council.

Trial pit tests have confirmed there are no blockages underneath the structure and consultants are now in the process of preparing a planning application.

A previous restoration of the High Street monument took place in 2020 following a £30,000 donation from former Lancaster bomber Stuart Heaton.

But by February 2021, cracks were appearing on the memorial and green mould was visible.

Wooden planters have since been placed around the base of the Grade II listed monument but residents have been unhappy at the length of time taken to rectify the problems, with some even staging a demonstration outside The Stone Workshop, the contractors who carried out the work in 2020.

Ledbury Reporter: The Grade II war memorial in Ledbury High StreetThe Grade II war memorial in Ledbury High Street

Ledbury Town Council responded by saying fresh repairs would be undertaken “as soon as possible” and promised to provide regular updates on the process.

At a meeting of the council this week, members were given an update on the repairs.

No evidence of subsidence at war memorial

A report put before councillors says test pits were dug in May to enable a CCTV cable to be fed underneath the memorial. This enabled a structural engineer to look for evidence of subsidence among other concerns.

No issues were found, although the engineer confirmed that paving around the base of the monument was inadequate.

The council said it was hoping to put the engineer’s proposals out to tender at the same time as the planning process gets underway, so work can begin as quickly as possible.

READ MORE: Angry residents protest at state of war memorial restoration

War memorial contractors offer compensation over repairs

“The interest from members of the public in this emotive issue has been helpful and important,” the council said in a statement earlier this year.

“The council appreciates that members of the public have done their best to use their working life experience to make comments throughout the process.

“The council is committed to completing the restoration of the war memorial as soon as possible and we would like to thank members of the public for the time and attention they have given thus far.”