Memorial for women of war approved at St Helens Town Hall
Plans have been approved for a 'long overdue' memorial
Plans to install a memorial at St Helens Town Hall to acknowledge the “contribution of women during war and times of conflict” have been approved.
The council’s planning application to install the memorial within the conservation area came before the planning committee on Tuesday.
As recommended, members granted planning permission subject to conditions.
Committee member Cllr Geoff Pearl said: “It’s long overdue. The work that the women have put in during World War One and Two.
“World War Two with the Codebreakers at Bletchley Park. The women who served behind enemy lines in France, northern France, paved the way for D-Day landings with the work they carried out, the bravery, and a lot of them didn’t come back unfortunately.”
According to a report to the committee, the application site is located on the grassed area to the right of the main entrance to the Town Hall, within Victoria Square, and sits within the civic setting of the Town Hall but lies separate from the existing St Helens Cenotaph.
“The proposal is for the installation of a new commemorative memorial to acknowledge the contribution of women during war and times of conflict,” it said.
“The memorial base would measure 1.2 metres in width, with a concealed sub‑base installed beneath ground level to provide structural support. The memorial would then have a width of 0.54 metres and a height of 1.4 metres and would incorporate a tapered upper profile.
“It is considered that the proposed development will cause no discernible level of harm or loss of significance to the contribution made by the setting to the nearby listed heritage assets, or to the character and appearance of Victoria Square conservation area and will not result in any harm to the setting of the non-designated heritage assets.
“The design of the proposal is a positive addition to the street scene and due to its scale and position the proposal would not result in any amenity or other planning harm.”