HUNCOAT’S war memorial would be open to “vandalism and misuse” if it is moved as proposed, it has been claimed.

Plans to move the cenotaph from the top of a hill near Higher Gate to the corner of Lower Gate Road and Station Road were given the nod by council bosses last month.

But the plans have yet to go before the council’s planning committee, sparking hope among some that they could yet be vetoed.

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Former town councillor Nick Whittaker, who lost his seat on the council last year, said the new location would leave the war memorial “open to vandalism and misuse and is not in the centre of the village as is suggested by the people wanting to move this war memorial.”

He said: “The people of Huncoat as a whole should be consulted as to whether this war memorial should be moved, and not the councillors or council officers.”

Mr Whittaker said a new pavement could be installed at the park for about £30,000, less than half the £70,000 he said it would cost to move the cenotaph.

He said: “A new pathway would make it easier for lots of people exercising their animals and themselves. The proposed pathway, which is used on golf courses up and down the country, is safe and friendly for cutting grass, walking on, driving on, and using wheelchairs on, So Why can we not just have a pathway put up in what is an iconic site in Huncoat?”

The memorial, which honours 25 fallen soldiers from the First World War and six from the Second World War, should be moved to allow for better access for Remembrance Day services and the disabled, the council said.

The proposal was tabled at a Royal British Legion meeting last March, while two consultations were held, at St Augustine’s Church on Wednesday, October 15, and at a Huncoat Forum meeting five days later, with a preference shown to keep the memorial where it is and a footpath installed.

Head of parks and cemeteries, Craig Haraben, said: “This has been rejected because the gradient of any new footpath across the field would not conform to the 1:12 required by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Also, installing a new footpath would increase yearly costs and would add a maintenance liability the council does not have.”“Furthermore, any new footpath gives the council public liability issues it did not previously have, and there would be health and safety concerns about using the footpath in wet or icy weather due to its location and gradient.”

A campaign group, ‘Don’t Move the Cross’, has also set up on Facebook, attracting hundreds of ‘likes’ from residents.