A community group has launched a last-ditch effort to halt the relocation of Finchampstead’s war memorial.
Residents are being asked to have their say on the proposals from Finchampstead Parish Council to relocate the Grade II listed landmark from its current site, at the intersection of Jubilee Road and Rectory Hill, to a verge outside Memorial Park.
If it goes ahead, it would lose its listed status in the process, but it would also mean the annual remembrance parades could go ahead without road closures, and the monument would be more easily accessible throughout the year.
The parish council consulted village reisdents on the plan last year, offering four options. Moving the memorial to the park was the final choice.
But the Save The Memorial campaign said that this decision should be disputed.
Ian Adnams, from the group, said: “They took the results, interpreted it as they would like it to fit and carried on without having a clear remit as to where the relocation would be.
“We are turning around the parish consultation. We have 90% vote in favour of leaving it where it is.”
In February of this year, the council approved plans to move the 4.4 metre high Portland stone cross, which has been in place since 1920, citing reasons of public safety and getting more visitors.
Parish councillor Graham Jukes said at the time: “The site is extremely dangerous to visit in its current location. It is so dangerous that the parish council cannot recruit contractors to maintain the site.
However, this is disputed by Mr Adnams, who argued: “There are contractors out there who would do it and there are maintenance free options for the land.”
Issues relating to a lack of parking and limited pavements were deemed to make the current site unsafe. The SMT argue this is not a valid reason for the relocation as this “has been the case for 100 years.”
Planning officer Kieran Neumann said in his report that, at the time the Memorial was constructed, traffic was “significantly less prominent and frequent than it is today”.
In addition to the £60,000 budget allocated for the relocation, a further £95,000 would be needed for the renovation of the junction.
Minutes from a recent parish council meeting state that, should the memorial be moved, “it was unable to commit funds to this”.
The SMT will now conclude their vote and seek to bring their findings to the next council meeting later this month.
Mr Adnams said: “I am hoping that on Thursday, May 26, they will accept our representation which will be an honest vote from the people as they will know what their options are.”
