Town-centre work to affect Remembrance Day ceremony

Alternative plans will have to made for Sleaford's annual Act of Remembrance at the war memorial in November

This year's Remembrance Day ceremony in a Lincolnshire town faces disruption due to a £1m revamp project.

Delays in plans to begin replacing parking with flowerbeds and outdoor seating in Sleaford has led to an overlap with the historic event, North Kesteven District Council (NKDC) said.

Contractors are set to close the Market Place car park on 19 July in preparation for the work.

Despite the project being deferred twice with more than 200 objections and a petition, NKDC's planning committee agreed on the decision to close the car park on 16 January.

Flowerbeds and outdoor seating would replace the car park in Sleaford's Market Place

The work is scheduled to run from the end of July until mid-December 2024.

In a Facebook post, NKDC said it regretted that a full Act of Remembrance would not be possible this year.

A council meeting will take place on 22 May to discuss access to the war memorial, which is owned by Sleaford Town Council.

Local business owner Ken Hanslip, 67, of Bellissimo Boutique, said: "Remembrance Day is a huge ceremony that's attended by the youngest Brownie up to the oldest veteran, and NKDC is dismissing it like it's an everyday event.

"We are on the verge of having to close during the works. We may not survive the redevelopment of the Market Place."

Ken Hanslip said NKDC was "dismissing" the historic event

Sarah Stentiford, churchwarden at St Denys Church in the Market Place, said: "The work is going to happen whether we agree or don't agree with it. Let's work with the council, not against them."

A spokesperson for Sleaford Town Council said: "We are aware that NKDC’s planned works in the Market Place mean that arrangements for the Remembrance Day Parade in 2024 will have to be different and we hope to discuss proposed alternative arrangements with the Royal British Legion and others in the near future.

"Once arrangements for Remembrance Sunday have been agreed we will make those known to the public ahead of the day.”

'Unfortunately unavoidable'

As well as plants and seating areas, the revamp work, part-funded by £1m from the government, will include new uplighting and the upgrading of bollards, with the aim to make the memorial more visible all year round.

The market that takes place three days a week would continue but the car park would remain closed.

A spokesperson for NKDC said: "Our aim has always been to programme the works in order to minimise disruption to the town’s calendar of events, but given where we now find ourselves following an extended planning and judicial process, it is unfortunately unavoidable that this year’s Remembrance Day assembly at the memorial will be affected."

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