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Gravesend Borough Council gives go ahead to £215,000 restoration of the town's Victorian clock tower

Gravesham council has agreed to go ahead with a £215,000 makeover of the town’s clock tower.

Councillors approved the spending on the the Victorian grade II listed building last night as part of the Gravesend Restoration Scheme.

Cabinet members presented their report to the Borough Council and recommended it be added to the list of capital schemes for the next year, with the restoration expected to take 26 weeks.

The clock tower will undergo a £215,000 makeover.
The clock tower will undergo a £215,000 makeover.

The clock tower was built in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, and – despite a minor facelift in the 1960s – has been deteriorating ever since.

The planning report says the 51ft tall building is now in a “serious state of disrepair, urgently in need of cleaning and restoration work”.

It will also be modernised, with the installation of a new regulator to automatically adjust the clock for daylight saving twice a year and some colour-changing lighting to enhance the architecture.

Deputy Leader of Gravesham Borough Council, David Turner led the meeting in Councillor Cubitt's absence and dedicated the success of the campaign to the late Councillor Cribbon.

"Jane Cribbons was a driving force in this, she contributed some of her county council members grant and she contributed to making this happen"- Cllr David Turner

Cllr Turner said: "We need to try and drive things back to the East of the town, encourage development of Harmer Street and improve the views down to the river to make sure the views match the magnificent site of the clock tower."

There will also be a community-engagement programme, with exhibitions, tours and educational visits taking place once the restoration has been finished.

A bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund was successful in March, securing £172,300 on top of a £5,000 grant from the late Cllr Jane Cribbon’s Kent County Council member’s community fund and £38,100 from Gravesham Council’s property maintenance budget.

It is also hoped the landmark will attract more tourism to the Gravesend area as the tower reflects the town’s history and port culture.

Cllr Turner said: "There are already people coming to see the clock tower, there are Councillors who were born elsewhere in the country and brought here by their parents as a child, 50 or 60 years ago, just to see the landmark."

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