Guest ANNE MANSFIELD Posted 12 October , 2004 Share Posted 12 October , 2004 Dear All, I have found out that our local council wants to move our War Memorial from High Street Woodville, South Derbyshire to behind a chapel (vandals etc)! Can they do this, own has title to the land? Can any body help us to stop it or at least get it moved to a better place? Kind regards ANNE MANSFIELD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 12 October , 2004 Share Posted 12 October , 2004 Hello Anne I don’t know the answer to your question, I’m sorry, but you might find this Parliamentary discussion of interest. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Maier Posted 12 October , 2004 Share Posted 12 October , 2004 The custodianship of a war memorial is not always clear. In the majority of cases they were funded and erected by a locally-organised war memorial committee, on public or donated land. With the dedication of the memorial, usually early in the 1920s, the committee in most cases handed the memorial over, formally or informally, into the keeping of the local authority. The memorials were durable affairs and understandably enough, nobody gave any thought to upkeep almost 90 years hence. The Local Authorities (War Memorials) Act of 1923 gave local authorities the power to maintain and protect war memorials but did not make this an obligation. Most WWI memorials were later modified to include the dead of WWII. If the custodianship of your memorial is unclear, it is a good idea to see who took responsibility at the end of WWII. The answer should be somewhere within local newspapers, church records, or council minutes. The Home Office published a Code of Practice for custodians of war memorials. Clause 20 states: Where it is proposed to relocate or dispose of the memorial to a new owner or location, custodians should give at least 6 week’ notice to Friends of War Memorials, who may be able to assist in finding a suitable new location, if required. Custodians should also give 6 weeks notice to the local authority so that checks may be made as to whether the memorial is listed or listable. Once a memorial has been relocated or disposed of, custodians should advise the UK National Inventory of War Memorials. Here are some useful links dealing with memorials: Home Office Code of Practice for Custodians of War Memorials Friends of War Memorials UK National Inventory of War Memorials English Heritage Public Monuments and Sculpture Association The Conservation Register Veterans Agency It is also worth getting hold of the War Memorials Handbook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinnethmont Posted 12 October , 2004 Share Posted 12 October , 2004 I would advise you check to see if it is Listed. If not, apply to have it Listed. This costs nothing and if the memorial is accepted as a Listed Building this will create some scrutiny of what is going on and should establish the legal owner whom the Local Authority are required to seek out and inform of the Listing. If they are not the owner this would make things " difficult " for them to move it. I assume the community are generally against the re-location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 12 October , 2004 Share Posted 12 October , 2004 There is , of course, the possibility that moving it is actually a good thing. In my own area, two memorials have been moved since they were initially erected. In both cases, the original siting would have been fine in the early 1920s when traffic was light. But, later, in the 1950s and 1980s,, it was, without question, better to move them. In the latter case, it was pressure from the local ward councillors that convinced the council to move it. Anne needs to make sure that she enlists their support and makes sure that they know the local community supoprts keeping the memorial where it is. Without the support of the community AND the councillors, you will,not be successful. The local press will also love a good story - particularly as its coming up to Remembrance Sunday. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANNE MANSFIELD Posted 12 November , 2004 Share Posted 12 November , 2004 Dear All, Thank you very much indeed for all your help and advice. My local paper has been very helpful too, "The Burton Mail". Sorry for not replying sooner, but my husband, ex-soldier, left after 25 years service in Sept 1995, is now disabled with a stroke and other medical problems has been in hosptal and has only just come home. I will let you all know how I get on. Kind regards, ANNE & GARY MANSFIELD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted 12 November , 2004 Share Posted 12 November , 2004 Thank you for taking the time to update us, Anne. I'm sorry to hear that your husband has been so poorly and I hope that he's more comfortable now he's at home with you. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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