"It's insulting" - row as senior councillor slams Reform for hijacking war memorial efforts
A senior councillor has warned the Reform party in charge of Lancashire County Council not to ‘insult’ dedicated volunteers.
David Howarth, who is in charge of the Liberal Democrats on South Ribble Borough Council, as well as being a County Councillor for Penwortham West, spoke out after LCC chiefs announced up to 80 war memorial sites across the area would be cleaned up as a way to “foster civic pride and improve the quality of our shared spaces”.
Coun Howarth said he has been told Penwortham War Memorial is one of the sites included in the project, which will cost £75,000.
He said: “To be honest, it’s almost insulting. We (in Penwortham) have work parties out every weekend, taking care of the war memorial. Reform care about war memorials because it fits into their national pride agenda, but volunteers are showing national pride year round.
“And the great irony is that there are three-foot high weeds growing in the grass verge opposite the war memorial, and that’s LCC highways responsibility. It’s outrageous. So I would say, do your job and tidy up the highways opposite this war memorial first.”
The scheme
Two-person teams of county council staff will be deployed to visit each site for up to half a day to tidy and clear the setting of the memorials. The structures themselves will not be cleaned in order to “respect ownership boundaries”. The authority will have to obtain permission to work on any land not within the highway boundary or not otherwise owned by the county council.
When it was announced, County Coun Stephen Atkinson said: “Clean, safe and dignified environments not only honour our heritage, but also strengthen community cohesion and wellbeing. These sites are significant locations where wreaths will be laid during remembrance ceremonies…[and] our teams will ensure the surrounding areas are respectful and dignified. The initiative is about getting the little things right, making small but meaningful improvements that help residents feel proud of where they live.”
LCC
Cllr Warren Goldsworthy, cabinet member for Highways and Transport, Lancashire County Council, said: “We fully recognise the tireless work of volunteers across Lancashire who care for our war memorials throughout the year. Their dedication is a powerful expression of civic pride, and we are grateful for the time, effort, and respect they bring to these important sites.
“The support agreed by cabinet is intended to complement the efforts of these local groups –not to replace or diminish them. It’s about standing alongside communities to ensure memorials are in the best possible condition ahead of Remembrance Day, when they hold particular significance for many."