Work to repair the War Memorial at Islington Memorial Green has been completed a week ahead of schedule.
Earlier this month, Islington Labour councillors gathered to celebrate the successful completion of the repairs.
First unveiled in 2006, the War Memorial was designed by Royal Academy sculptor, John Maine. However, due to mistakes made by the contractors during the construction of the memorial under the previous Council administration, the sculpture had begun to appear crooked. Investigations ordered by Islington Council in the autumn of 2013 revealed a serious failure in the concrete foundations.
In November 2013, Cllr Richard Watts, Labour Leader of Islington Council ordered repairs to be carried out immediately. This work has now been completed and the area will be fully re-opened by the end of May 2014.
Council Leader Cllr Richard Watts said: “When we learned that the orginial contractors had done such a shoddy job, I was completely livid. This memorial marks the contribution and sacrifice that so many Islington residents have made for their country. We owed it to them to repair the memorial quickly and I am very pleased that this work has been completed ahead of schedule.”
Cllr Rakhia Ismail, Executive Member for Sustainability, commented: “It was vital that in the year we mark the centenary of the start of the First World War, the issues with our memorial were solved quickly. I’d like to thank everyone who helped with the challenging work of moving and repairing the memorial.”
Cllr Gary Poole, Islington Council’s Armed Forces Champion and St Mary’s ward councillor, added: “The Islington Veterans’ Association noted their thanks to the Leader & Council for taking decisive action to address the issues with the memorial. The memorial will be officially rededicated at a ceremony on Armed Forces Day on 28th June and I hope people will join us then.”
The remaining fencing on Islington Memorial Green will be removed at the end of May after newly laid grass has had time to establish itself.
Pictured: Cllr Poole, Cllr Watts and Cllr Ismail at the War Memorial on Islington Memorial Green.