Veterans get £16k boost for memorial
Plans to erect a war memorial in Perth have been given a fresh boost with the allocation of funding from the city’s common good fund.
The Association of Perth Veterans has been handed nearly £16,000 to help create the civic memorial.
It is hoped it will be in place for the 75th anniversary of VE Day on May 8, with a dedication on Sunday, May 10.
Mercat Cross is currently used during memorial events. Armed forces veteran champion Councillor Chris Ahern said Mercat Cross has no association with remembrance, something he branded an“insult to our war dead.”
Plans have been submitted to erect the war memorial on St John Street behind St John’s Kirk - a quieter spot for Perth folks to pay their respects.
The Association of Perth Veterans applied to Perth and Kinross Council for £15,872 to cover the cost of the masonry work and a bronze plaque.
Council officials said a grant of £3968 would be consistent with criteria, but Cllr Ahern appealed to councillors for the full allocation.
He said:“This has been a big issue for veterans for a long time. We have numerous memorials across Perth and Kinross but no memorial remembering anyone who served anywhere in any conflict.”
Perth Common Good Fund convener Cllr Andrew Parrott moved the motion recommending the full amount be awarded, saying:“It’s a matter of some regret to me that Perth does not have a civic memorial.”
Cllr Willie Wilson seconded, saying it was an appropriate time given the work going on in the area at the city hall. He said it would be a chance for the people of Perth to pay their respects to“people who have given their lives so that we might prosper.”
The monument will be constructed with stone quarried in Perthshire to match the masonry of St John’s Kirk and will be three metres high, 1.4 metres in width and 1.1 metres in depth.
A planning process is currently under way and Cllr Ahern told Perth councillors permission had been given from the Ministry of Defence for the crest of all three armed services to be used on the plaque.