As the country prepares for its annual Act of Remembrance, people are being asked to share their views on proposals for a Commonwealth War Memorial on the Western Heights in Dover. The public consultation runs from 10 November to 10 December 2017.
The proposed memorial would be unique in honouring the names of all 1.7 million Commonwealth soldiers, sailors and airmen, along with members of the merchant navy who lost their lives in World War I and World War II. Their names would be inscribed on 12 white granite walls, each one facing the sea and the sun.
The Western Heights in Dover have seen over 200 years of continuous military development from the Napoleonic era to the early 1960s. The site identified for the proposed memorial was originally the location of barrack buildings built as part of the town’s Napoleonic defences. The terracing on the site provides outstanding views across the English Channel to France.
Dover District Council is facilitating the early development of the project, which is likely to be delivered and managed by an independent charitable trust. Development of the early proposals and initial design work has been funded by the Government’s Libor Fund, which promotes activities to support and honour veterans. The project team includes John Pegg, Baca Architects, and WSP.
The public can view the proposals online and share their views by completing a questionnaire. There will be two public events at Dover Library, Market Square, Dover, CT16 1PH on Wednesday 22 November (2pm-7pm) and Saturday 25 November (10am-3pm) where people can view the proposals, talk to the team involved with the early development of the plans, and provide feedback.
