Sandiway's Round Tower rebuild: still awaiting a decision

AROUND 10.30pm on November 14 a Red Corsa veered into and destroyed a 200 year old Cheshire landmark.

The remains of the tower being removed. Photo: Michael Howroyd

Within the few seconds of the crash, the tower was damaged severely. The following morning, Cheshire West and Chester Council decided to take apart the whole structure.

The driver of the car, who was said to be a 50-year-old woman, was taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries. Although an unfortunate incident, no one was seriously hurt.

The tower, beloved by the residents of Sandiway and the surrounding Cheshire area, was built in the 1800s, and has a local newsletter named after it. Far from being a building of great historical significance or use, the grade II listed monument is well known has nonetheless become a topic of heated debate.

In a bid to aid public safety, the remainder of the tower was totally deconstructed after the accident by the council and the sandstone bricks put in storage. The morning after the incident, the council posted this tweet:

@Go_CheshireWest Our teams are already planning reconstruction of the tower on the A556 and we always pursue costs from drivers' insurance companies.

Soon after, anger and disappointment spread throughout the surrounding area. Immediately, members of the public came forward through social media and tried to make their voice heard:  “the Round Tower should be rebuilt.”

The council have been discussing the options of rebuilding, and plan to submit an application in February 2014. The public want answers now.

Countless tweets and posts later, an ambitious Facebook group was created: ‘Rebuild the Round Tower’. It gleaned over 1,000 participants in under 24 hours, and now it’s set to break the 2,000 mark. This group represents a fraction of the public as a whole.

Offline, the public have been showing their support for the cause. Owner of Beeston Reclamation Yard, John Newton, has offered a supply of his own sandstone bricks in order for the tower to be reconstructed as quickly as possible.

Is this a decision that Cheshire West and Chester council can even make? English Heritage have been contacted and are currently in discussions with the council on what the best plan of action will be.

And yet, no ultimate decision can be made yet. A public forum meeting is to be held on Monday 16^th of December, which is sure to reflect the anxieties and wishes of the social media campaign, and through them, the general public. Hopefully their voice will be heard: “the Round Tower should be rebuilt”. And quick.