Warwickshire County Council is due to start restoration and improvement work to West Gate in Warwick this September.The improvements are scheduled to get underway on the grade I listed stone archwa...
Warwickshire County Council is due to start restoration and improvement work to West Gate in Warwick this September.
The improvements are scheduled to get underway on the grade I listed stone archway on Wednesday 6th September 2018 and are expected to be completed in November 2018.
West Gate was one of three medieval gateways into Warwick and the structure supports St James Chapel which forms part of the Lord Leycester Hospital. Due to the particular type of sandstone the archway is constructed from, much of West Gate’s masonry is heavily eroded.
Cllr John Holland, Warwickshire County Councillor for Warwick West, said:
“The West Gate in Warwick dates back to 12th century and we welcome the restoration works being undertaken to this important part of Warwick’s heritage. This essential work has to be carried out but great care has been taken both on the work inside the arch and outside to minimise disruption to pedestrians and traffic.
"We have worked with Warwick Chamber of Trade on the timing of the works to support local businesses and ensure access to them in their critical period running up to Christmas."
Cllr Jeff Clarke, the county's portfolio holder for transport and planning, said:
"This is the latest in a suite of works that we have been undertaking to improve Warwick's town centre. We have been implementing a series of works that will ultimately improve congestion and make the town centre much more pedestrian-friendly and that is excellent news not only for residents and visitors but also for businesses thinking of locating themselves in and around the town centre."
Due to the close proximity of the structure to road, it is inevitable that these works may cause some travel disruption. The eastbound lane of the High Street will need to be closed for the first phase of the works to provide a safe working area while repairs are undertaken to the outside faces of the structure. This will be done using temporary traffic signals at the High Street, West Street and Bowling Green Street junction and will be in place until late October.
Leycester Place will also be closed for this phase so that three-way rather than four-way traffic signals can be used to improve traffic flows. The second phase of the work will take place inside the arch and will only require occasional traffic management in the High Street.
For information and updates on the scheme, including traffic management arrangements, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/westgate.