DOZENS of objections have been lodged with planners over a proposal to build a five-metre-high memorial to British soldiers killed in both world wars in a majority-nationalist town.
The Irish News revealed earlier this month that the Royal British Legion’s (RBL) Magherafelt branch is planning to erect a cenotaph at Broad Street in the Co Derry town.
Objectors say more than 100 letters have been submitted in recent weeks.
However, a spokeswoman for Mid Ulster council last night said 35 objections have been received.
The memorial has been modelled on a similar structure in London and will include a socket for a temporary flagpole for “lowering and raising of the Union flag” during remembrance ceremonies.
The RBL has said panels bearing the names of people killed in both world wars will be added to the cenotaph, which will sit on a footpath separating four lanes of traffic in the town’s main thoroughfare.
The application makes no mention of UDR, RUC or British soldiers killed during the Troubles.
Some residents in Magherafelt have said the memorial should not be built and will impact on a £1.9m public realm scheme already underway.
One, who did not want to be named, also claimed it could upset community relations.
“The public realm, which is a shared space, will be destroyed after all the money they have put into it,” he said.
“We have moved on from war within our own country and are now embracing peace, why would we want a symbol of war within our town?
“If anything should be erected it should be a symbol of peace that would be more fitting, with no flags or emblems or names.”
Earlier this month SDLP councillor Martin Kearney said his party will support the memorial and its priority “is respect and dignity for the dead”.
Independent Mid Ulster District councillor Barry Monteith said the views of local people must be taken into account.
“It is inappropriate to put a memorial anywhere the local residents are in opposition to it,” he said.
A spokesman for Sinn Féin declined to comment when contacted.
The RBL said it originally wanted to locate the structure in Market Street but was told by council representatives that Broad Street “would be the preferred option”.
However, a council spokeswoman last night said no direction was given.
She said meetings between officials and RBL representatives had taken place as part of "engagement" around the public realm scheme in Magherafelt.
“While the location of a new memorial was raised in this context, there was no direction to the legion to apply for permission to erect the memorial in Broad Street.”
