Issue - meetings

The Parks and Open Spaces Manager introduced a report outlining the current arrangements and costs for the management and maintenance of war memorials in Slough.

There were seven publicly accessible war memorials in Slough located in Langley Memorial Ground, Baylis Park War Memorial Garden, Cippenham Village Green/Pond, St Peter’s, Chalvey, Uxbridge Road, St Mary’s Church, Slough and Slough High Street. Only Langley Memorial Ground and Baylis War Memorial Garden were owned by the Trust and had funds to maintain their war memorials. Memorials at Cippenham Village Green/Pond and Uxbridge Road did not have official or formal management arrangements or funding for their maintenance.

Committee Members welcomed the Commissioners comments of setting up a  charity or trust for future upkeep of the other memorials in addition to Bayliss and Langley memorials,  which could be governed by the Trustee Committee.

Resolved  -

a)  That the current arrangements for the management and maintenance of War Memorials and the allocation of funds to maintain and repair them in future be noted.

b)  Explore with the Commissioners and officers the setting up of a charity for future war memorial upkeep, and if agreed to pursue this, officers shall report to full council asking for authority to set up such a charity, and for the governance of any such charity to come under the remit of the Trustee Committee.

Trustees were reminded that there were six publicly accessible war memorials in Slough, located at Langley Memorial Ground, Baylis Park War Memorial Garden, Cippenham Village Green, Uxbridge Road, St Mary’s Church and Slough High Street. It was noted that only Langley Memorial Ground and Baylis War Memorial Garden were currently managed by the Trust and potentially had funding to maintain their war memorials. The remaining memorials did not have official/formal management arrangements towards repairs and maintenance.

At the last Trustee meeting, ward members for Cippenham Green and Chalvey Ward agreed to allocate funds from their respective Community Investment Fund allocations to start a “pot” for future maintenance of war memorials in the borough. This would assist towards the upkeep of the memorials independent of other budgets.

Members sought further details relating to maintenance works carried out and how this had been funded given that there was no specific allocated budget for such works. It was explained that the finance team were working on establishing a dedicated budget for war memorial maintenance and details of the total current budget would be reported at the next meeting. It was also agreed that the schedule of works carried out to date on war memorials, including associated costs, would be provided at the January meeting.

Resolved  -

a)  That the current arrangements for the management and maintenance of War Memorials and the allocation of funds to maintain and repair them in future be noted.

b)  That the schedule of works carried out to date on war memorials, including associated costs, be provided at the January meeting.