AFTER months of controversy, Crewe's war memorial is due to return to a new spot in the town centre today.
Workmen were on site early this morning, putting last minute touches to the area where Britannia will stand opposite the Municipal Buildings.
Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council's Tory leaders say they have kept their promise to put the memorial back in town in time for Remembrance Day.
When they took over in May, they stopped the relocation from Market Square to Municipal Square to stage a consultation.
Now a new row has broken out over the costs of the delay, with rival Labour councillors claiming it could hit the taxpayer's pocket by £50,000.
Labour group leader Steve Hogben said: 'In a council report published earlier in the year, the cost of stopping the relocation was reported to be around £45,000 but this figure did not include paying damages to the contractors.
'The decision to send the plinth away from site on the day of its original delivery cost £5,000 and consulting the Citizens' Panel a further £2,000.
'The exact bill has not arrived. When it does all eyes will be on whether the council will be forced to pay using funds from the revenue budget which is money for day-to-day services.' It was back in 2004 when the council first unveiled plans to uproot the monument from Market Square.
Public outcry led to a protest group being formed and the issue hitting the headlines on TV.
It remained a thorn in the side of the council's former Labour leaders, with many blaming it for their loss of power at the local elections in May.
Yesterday, Tory council leader Brian Silvester defended the decision to halt the works, claiming Labour left his group with a mess to sort out.
He said: 'We have healed what was a running sore and ended the controversy over the siting of the war memorial.
'Britannia now looks magnificent and will now be in place for Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.'
A date for re-dedicating the monument will be announced.
