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RESTORATION plans for Skipton's war memorial are being reworked after conservation experts said it didn't need cleaning.
One Skipton town councillor said he was 'bamboozled' as to why North Yorkshire Council and the War Memorials Trust had both ruled out cleaning of the memorial's Portland stone.
The town council had agreed to spend up to £50,000 on the full clean and restoration of the more than 100 year old memorial in the roundabout at the top of High Street.
The grade two listed memorial's Portland stone was to be steam-cleaned as a major part of a general restoration.
Skipton War Memorial (Image: Lesley Tate)
But North Yorkshire Council has told the town council following advice from its conservation officer unless it removes plans to clean the memorial, it will refuse the necessary listed building consent.
The council has decided to go ahead with the work, which will see repairs made to the stone and bronze elements, including restoration of the names of those who lost their lives in wars.
Cost of the project, which includes the erection of scaffolding, and traffic management, because of its position in an 'active roundabout' will cost around £13,000 less.
Cllr Peter Madeley told the town council's recent public services committee meeting that North Yorkshire's conservation officer was 'adamant' that the stone did not need cleaning.
"I am totally bamboozled as to why they don't want it cleaning. That was a major part of it, but not all of it. What is disappointing is when it does need cleaning, we will have to pay for the scaffolding to be put up again, and that costs an awful lot of money," he said, adding the council would just have to 'put it down to experience'.
He continued that the restoration of the stone and bronze needed tackling now, otherwise it would get worse.
It was agreed to get a full scope of works and costs to date from the contractors, Hirst Conservation, and to amend the application for listed building consent to the council to remove the full cleaning.
In its comments on the planned cleaning, the War Memorials Trust said: "The purpose of cleaning should not be to create a pristine 'like new' appearance because most war memorials are historic monuments, and that age should be reflected in their appearance."
Also, that cleaning "will over time cause damage to the fabric of the war memorial".
North Yorkshire's conservation department was equally opposed, stating: "We find that there is no clear need or justification for the cleaning of the memorial in any form."