|
Post by shred on Oct 11, 2010 19:51:08 GMT
Update for forum members,
We have tried emailing various councillors with regards to this issue... the silence is deafening, not even a "we will get back to you". My own local councillor hasn't even replied, this will be remembered when the next Local Elections are held. We have also contacted the Oasis church asking for their views, again no reply has been received. We would really like someone to communicate with us so that we can voice our concerns and offer any help in protecting this valuable piece of Salford's heritage.
Will keep you all posted.
Garry
|
|
|
Post by shred on Oct 12, 2010 11:35:05 GMT
Emma (spitfire) has just drawn my attention to this article in the Telegraph. Not often I agree with a Tory but I applaud David Burrowes for this campaign. A senior Conservative MP has written to Cabinet ministers asking them to introduce new laws to protect the memorials following a series of high-profile court cases after sites were vandalised or desecrated. The campaign, spearheaded by David Burrowes, a Parliamentary aide to senior Government figures, is understood to be supported by many Conservative MPs. At the moment, war memorials receive no special protection and vandals can only be sentenced to less than six months in prison by a magistrate. However, under the proposals, desecrating a war memorial could be a specific offence with a jail sentence of up to ten years. The offence is currently treated as any other type of low-level criminal damage. The special protection could also mean that developers would have to take legal account of war memorials when applying for planning permission.Mr Burrowes, the Conservative MP for Enfield Southgate, believes that at least one memorial a week is being desecrated. However, the true figure may be far higher as police forces do not record the offence separately. “We must increase the protection of war memorials by ensuring there is proper punishment when we catch the culprits,” Mr Burrowes said. “This is vandalism against the memories of this country. There needs to be immediate action to address this gap in the law.” Mr Burrowes recently wrote to Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, and Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, urging them to take action. The issue has come to public attention following a series of high-profile cases of war memorial desecration. Memorials have been daubed with Nazi symbols, brass has been stolen and drunks have vandalised them. Last week, Wendy Lewis was confronted by war veterans after appearing in court in Blackpool after being caught urinating and then performing a sex act on a memorial. She fled court and a warrant was issued for her arrest. On Sunday , in a statement from her lawyers she apologised for her actions. “I was extremely intoxicated when I did what I did,” she said “My life has been hell on earth ever since. I only realise now the impact of what happened on those who served in the armed forces. “I can only apologise. And apologise again.” Despite demands by war veterans that she be jailed, she has already been told that she only faces a community service sentence. Last year, Phillip Laing, a Sheffield student was pictured urinating on a war memorial during an organised pub crawl. Mr Laing was also sentenced to community service. There are thought to be more than 100,000 war memorials across Britain but no formal register exists. Many of the memorials are not legally owned by anyone as they were paid for with small private donations. The War Memorials Trust is currently compiling a register of all First World War memorials which it hopes to complete with public help by 2014, the centenary of the outbreak of the conflict. Shortly before the general election, Mr Burrowes attempted to introduce new laws in Parliament to increase the protection of war memorials. The proposed legislation, which had the backing of MPs from all parties, was supported by Tories including Graham Stuart, Michael Fabricant and Mike Penning, a junior minister. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/7959258/Protect-war-memorials-by-using-long-jail-terms-says-MP.html
|
|
|
Post by bomber on Oct 12, 2010 19:15:47 GMT
|
|
|
Post by shred on Oct 12, 2010 20:03:47 GMT
|
|
|
Post by bomber on Oct 12, 2010 20:08:33 GMT
YAY - nice one Garry
|
|
|
Post by Spitfire on Oct 12, 2010 20:09:51 GMT
our campaign is coming together very nicely
|
|
|
Post by shred on Oct 12, 2010 21:42:01 GMT
www.thestar.co.uk/letters/Let39s-conserve-our-memorials.6575025.jpLet's conserve our memorials October 2010 Unlike most historical buildings and structures which surround us, our war memorials were built in an extremely short timescale – most in the seven years after 1918. Moreover, in terms of sheer numbers (possibly around 60,000) they far outstrip anything that went before. All buildings suffer ravages of time but our memorials have done so largely at a similar rate over the last 90 years – and it is starting to show. Many have been cleaned and undergone restoration, many are in dire need of cosmetic and structural attention if they are not to crumble away. We have never been confronted with a restoration issue on this scale and new thinking is called for. The outrage over abuse of war memorials indicates we care enough to pay for a National War Memorial Restoration Fund. This would be taxpayers' money invested in these fine structures which form a unique part of our heritage. In November 2018 we will mark the Centenary of the Armistice in many ways – but it would be fitting to do so against a backdrop of clean, presentable, safe and readable war memorials
|
|
|
Post by bomber on Oct 12, 2010 21:45:59 GMT
Have you emailed them Nice Find Garry
|
|
|
Post by shred on Oct 13, 2010 11:22:31 GMT
Email sent to the War Memorials Trust asking for help/advice.
|
|
|
Post by Hawker Hurricane on Oct 13, 2010 15:18:57 GMT
Good work Garry. Let's hope for some good news from them then.
|
|
ELAINE
Second Lieutenant
MY GRANDAD
Posts: 311
|
Post by ELAINE on Oct 13, 2010 17:57:50 GMT
Is it a fact, that Salford Central Mission is being knocked down... I am sure I have read, that it is a grade 2 listed building..!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by bomber on Oct 13, 2010 19:08:10 GMT
Hi Elaine The plans are to knock it down Although a listed building it hasn't got a grading, which is really unusual. We will keep every body updated though
|
|
|
Post by graham1 on Oct 13, 2010 21:17:29 GMT
Hi guys......I have received a call back from Mark (who's name was listed on the large boardings outside the mission) from Oasis, and he say's that they have not had any access for 12 months, however, he has advised me that the person we need to liaise with is **** at ****, and his number is ****. Can I leave it to one of you to contact him or would you wish me to ring him? My thoughts on the issue are that this memorial should be carefully removed from this building, renovated where necesarry, then placed back into the new build, which is, of course, a college building, (I actually went to the school which it will take it's name from (Hope High)) and I feel that this would make a fitting addition to the academic building and would allow the memorial to remain where it should.....in the locality of where the men listed on it actually lived. The Head Teacher at the time I started at Hope High in 1969 was Mr Victor Tomlinson, who was a prominent local historian and would have insisted on the memorial being saved, also Mrs Valerie Ivison, Ex-Head Teacher and Magistrate may well be worth contacting. See you next week. G.
|
|
|
Post by graham1 on Oct 13, 2010 21:40:28 GMT
Guy's I have looked at the planning permission link as guided earlier, and have left my details on their 'comments' page for the attention of a person called 'Sam', and I have copied and pasted my 'comments' for you attention below just for the record :
Comments: Sam, within the building is a WW1 memorial to local soldiers who gave their lives during WW1. I ask that the memorial be carefully removed, renovated if required, and replaced in a suitable position in the new build. I am sure that the College, particularly as it will also take the name of my old school, Hope High, will be honoured to have this memorial in a prominent place and will give the building some local character. I am working with a team of people, which is growing every day, that are outraged at the thought that this memorial may just be demolished without a caring thought for it's meaning. I sincerely hope that this memorial will be saved, as I will do everything in my power to avoid it's destruction. I am, of course, open to coming to see yourself or whomever may be responsible, so that I may discuss this face to face. As a group we have contacted local Councillors but as yet have not had the common courtesy of a single reply. I do look forward to an early reply from yourself. I hope that this 'comment' facility is not just a scam. Many Thanks. Graham.
|
|
|
Post by shred on Oct 13, 2010 21:45:03 GMT
Graham,
Good to meet you today.
Thank you for your input. All sounds good to me.
Keep us posted.
Regards,
Garry
|
|