People will sit at Rhayader war memorial eating ‘fish and chips’ if posts and chains are removed, councillor fears

Rhayader Town Council has been debating whether to keep and commit to maintaining the posts and railings or get rid of them for a few months.

The clock historically marked the border between South and North Wales. Standing at the town's central crossroads where the market hall once stood, it is a memorial to the men of Rhayader who were lost in the World Wars. 

But it creates something of a traffic bottleneck at busy periods, and represents a major obstacle for drivers of large trucks.

To help protect the clock tower there are solid bells around its base – almost like large door stops to stop lorries hitting it.

Town clerk Julie Stephen previously said: “The bells are absolutely critical as sadly vehicles often hit them, but they are pretty much indestructible.”

In addition to the “bells” there are metal posts and chains. 

They also form a barrier around the memorial but are easily broken when hit, which happens often.

The links that make up the chains are gradually getting more and more damaged so the town council has recently considered whether to either remove them altogether or get them replaced with new but far more robust posts and chains.

At a December meeting, Rhayader mayor Councillor Christian Walton said that Powys County Council maintains that, although it has erected the posts and painted them and the bells, the posts are the town council’s responsibility.

He said if the council wants to keep the posts they would be put in properly, but the town council would need to maintain them as and when it was needed.

Councillor Rhys Thomas said: “I can’t envisage them not being there because they have always been there. Is there an option to remove them for a trial period to see how people feel when they are not there?”

But Councillor David Evans said: “I think it will ruin the war memorial if we take the posts away and we should consider what the Royal British Legion feel about it.

“If you take the chains and posts away people will sit on the steps eating their fish and chips and advertising boards will be placed there. The town has had the posts and rails there for 100 years and they have always served the council well.

“I don’t know of another memorial where there are not chains and posts. I think it is a shabby decision if we go and take them away. All the people that have their names on the memorial gave their lives. Leave them as they are.”

Members agreed to remove the posts and chains for a three month trial period.

In the meantime, the council will still try and obtain quotes so members have the full information on the table when the decision is reviewed in three months.