Bishop’s Stortford and East Herts councils miss Remembrance deadline for war memorial repairs
Efforts to complete repairs at Bishop’s Stortford war memorial before Remembrance Sunday have failed.
In a joint statement, the town and East Herts district councils confirmed all works would not be finished by the deadline.
The councils have tried to complete repointing and step repairs before Armistice Day on Saturday November 11 and the main service of commemoration on Sunday November 12 “to ensure that the war memorial stands as a fitting tribute to our local heroes”.
The stone obelisk in Castle Gardens is inscribed with the names of 208 men who were killed or missing in the Great War and 106 lost in the Second World War.
The councils have been working with the War Memorials Trust, an organisation dedicated to safeguarding and conserving war memorials across the UK.
The councils’ statement says: “We submitted an application to the trust for permission to make repairs and cleaning. The cleaning element was not granted, but the repairs element was accepted. A further application has been submitted for the trust to fund half of the costs of this work to take place at some point before the end of the year.
“In the meantime, to ensure that the area around the memorial looks as pristine as possible for the Remembrance events, the councils have taken measures to level the area with new soil and have seeded grass to enhance its overall appearance.
“The ongoing improvements to Castle Park extend beyond the war memorial. We are dedicated to creating an environment that better reflects the monument’s profound historical significance.
“This project will include soft landscaping, which is scheduled to take place after Remembrance Day, ensuring that the events are not disrupted.
“We understand the importance of the war memorial in our community and are working diligently to ensure its long-term preservation. We thank residents for their patience and understanding as we work on this project and will keep the community informed about the scheduled works.”
The Indie understands the councils have updated Mark Greatbatch, founder of Bishop’s Stortford Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club.
In October, he posted a video on Facebook showing how the once "pristine" area had deteriorated during the £3.5m Castle Park project and it now looked like "nobody cares" about the memorial. He highlighted crumbling masonry and concerns about how the area was being landscaped.
