Colchester volunteers issue plea to honour war heroes

Shrub End war memorial, in Shrub End Road, Colchester, had originally been built in the 1920s to honour 17 men who gave their lives for their country in the First World War.

But after years of neglect, the 8ft stone structure has fallen into disrepair and has been fenced off for health and safety reasons.

Although volunteers are keen to restore the monument, Kevin Starling, who is part of the group helping to restore the memorial, says it has been almost impossible to find out who, in fact, is responsible for the structure.

 And without knowing who owns the memorial, which is Grade II listed, Mr Starling, 66 of Eldred Avenue, Colchester, worries the sacrifices of soldiers won’t be honoured.

 He said: “Unless we identify ownership, who is going to take responsibility?

“There’s a listing on a building nobody wants responsibility for.

“It does get to me sometimes because there are the names of 17 men on that memorial who lost their lives, and they deserve more than a temporary memorial.”

Mr Starling’s efforts, and that of fellow volunteers, have been extensive.

He has liaised with Colchester Council’s building control department, churches, and Historic England.

But without pinpointing the ownership of the land where the memorial is built, no progress can be made.

“We can’t do anything unless we know who the owners are, but there must be something, somewhere [that confirms the owner],” Mr Starling said.

“We’re trying to raise funds to replace the war memorial.

“People are happy to give us a bit of cash here and there, but if you have to go cap-in-hand to go to a heritage expert [to find out who owns it], they cost money.”

The plaque which lists the names of the soldiers who died in the First World War is currently in storage.

Anybody wishing to help with the effort of restoring the memorial or finding the owner of the land should contact the Shrub End Residents’ Association Facebook page.