Knutsford Town Council responds to Belle Epoque owner over Gaskell Tower (From Knutsford Guardian)

Knutsford Town Council responds to Belle Epoque owner over Gaskell Tower

8:40am Monday 8th February 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

KNUTSFORD Town Council has said it has tried to cut down ivy on the Gaskell Tower in a bid to restore it to its former glory in time for the bi-centenary celebrations.

Despite assurances that the monument would be returned to its former glory in an article in the Guardian in November, improvements to the structure are yet to be made.

Thousands of visitors will visit the tower in the coming months to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Cranford author, Elizabeth Gaskell, who grew up in Knutsford.

The tower contains a sculpted list of the Victorian author’s works which is currently concealed by ivy.

In the Guardian two weeks ago, Matthew Mooney, proprietor of the Belle Epoque and tenant of the building, said it was more important for the building to receive structural repairs, rather than the council sort a date to cut the ivy down.

He added that he had given the council until the end of the month to remove the ivy.

But in a statement to the Guardian, the council said it had unsuccessfully attempted to solve the ivy problem.

The statement said: “Knutsford Town Council, as owner of 60 King Street, Knutsford, is highly committed to the preservation of both the Gaskell Memorial Tower and all the remainder of its historical Grade II Listed building.

“The Town Council has for a period in excess of a year, requested its tenant to remove the ivy on the Gaskell Memorial Tower, consistent with the detail of the tenancy lease, due to its concerns for the wellbeing of the tower and the carvings.

“Due to the delay in this work being undertaken, the Town Council, through its managing agent has sourced a contractor, identified a time and date for removal and agreed to defer any cost to the tenant until the next financial year.

“While always mindful of the business operations of the tenant and the need to minimise disruption, the Town Council was disappointed to be told that the tenant refused permission for the contractor to attend site when a time and date was proposed.

“The Town Council has a structured programme of works for 60 King Street which, consistent with its obligations as landlord within the terms of the lease, has resulted in expenditure on external repairs that has exceeded £28,000 over the last 18 months. The budgeted expenditure is set to exceed this figure in the period up to March 2011.”

What do you think about the town council’s response? Let us know at knutsfordguardian. co.uk.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)