Stratford bell tower to be demolished
A structure that has sat in the Stratford skyline for 40 years has been deemed an earthquake risk and is set to be demolished.
The bell tower, which sits in the War Memorial Centre car park on Miranda St, will be pulled down later this month after a seismic assessment found it posed a risk to public safety in the event of an earthquake.
While the district council could have strengthened the tower, elected members felt the costs were too large.
However, the bells, which originally came from the old clock tower on the Broadway Post Office, will be saved and stored until a new home is made for them.
‘‘Council is aware that the decision to remove the bell tower might come as a disappointment to some, but ongoing public safety is at the forefront of this decision,’’ Stratford mayor Neil Volzke said.
‘‘We’re satisfied that the historic bells, which the tower was originally constructed to house, will be better displayed elsewhere for everyone to enjoy.’’
The tower was constructed in 1981 for the bells.
They came from the old clock tower, which was built as a memorial to the Stratford soldiers who died in the Boer War and WWI, but were unused for 20 years.
‘‘At the moment you can’t see the bells as they are enclosed within the tower, so we’re looking forward to being able to view them again,’’ Volzke said.