Western Daily Press (Saturday)
HIGHWAYS CASH FOR MONUMENT REPAIRS
MP FURIOUS:
PLENTY of motorists regularly meet their own personal Waterloo on the pothole-ridden roads of rural Somerset.
Hence why a West MP says it is “incomprehensible” that the organisation responsible for Britain’s roads is spending £500,000 of public money on restoring a monument marking the Duke of Wellington’s victory over Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Wellington Monument, which sits on the edge of the Blackdown Hills and is visible from the nearby M5, was built after the 1815 victory over France at Waterloo.
A £1.7 million project to restore the monument – the world’s tallest threesided obelisk – received a huge £500,000 boost this week from Highways England. However, Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has questioned the logic of using Highways England funds when the region’s roads are crying out for investment.
He said: “This is one of the most familiar landmarks in the whole of Somerset and clearly is held in great affection by many local people.
“But I cannot understand the logic in siphoning money out of Highways England’s budget to help with the restoration. Anyone driving on Somerset’s A roads will have no doubt where that money would be better used because the evidence is under their tyres.
“I find it incomprehensible that taxpayers’ money is being diverted to this project, worthy though it might be, when for lack of proper funding my constituents and indeed visitors to our county are having to drive on ill-maintained roads whose tortuous routes date back to the days of horse transport, and queue interminably through villages which should have been bypassed decades ago.
“And I am sure the distant view of the monument will not come as any great consolation in future as drivers waste ever more time in traffic jams as a result of road spending in Somerset failing utterly to meet local need.”
His fellow Tory MP, Rebecca Pow, in whose Taunton constituency the monument sits, was more positive.
She said: “The monument is very important to the local community and I am delighted that Highways England and National Trust are working in partnership to protect it.”
Highways England has defended the spending, saying it comes from a special fund designated specifically for improving the surrounds of the strategic road network.
For the period of 2015-2020 it has £675 million to spend on five key areas: environment; cycling, safety and integration; growth and housing; innovation and air quality.
Vinita Hill, Highways England designated funds director, said: “Highways England is delighted to be partnering with the National Trust and Historic England to protect and restore the Wellington Monument. This work will ensure the preservation of the monument and will allow visitors to safely climb to the top once again.
“Speaking to M5 road users and local residents, we know the monument is seen as a gateway landmark which signifies entry to the South West and provides a reminder of place and community.
“We have used a cultural heritage fund through our designated funds programme, which was developed so that we could invest in projects beyond our traditional road build and maintenance. It’s important that we recognise the value of landmarks such as Wellington Monument and invest in their preservation.”
The funding announcement was made by the chairman of the National Trust, Tim Parker, at an event at Apsley House (Number 1 London), the home of the first Duke of Wellington, now looked after by English Heritage.
National Trust project manager, Helen Sharp, said: “There’s still another £1.2 million to raise, but this is a big step towards our target, and to be able to announce this in the home of the first Duke of Wellington, 201 years since work began on the monument, feels very fitting.”
Work on the monument is due to start next summer, beginning at the top and moving down as funds allow.
For lack of proper funding my constituents are having to drive on ill-maintained roads IAN LIDDELL-GRAINGER