DESPITE an unprecedented hike of 27 per cent for Ledbury Town Council's share of council tax next year, the dilapidated war memorial won't be repaired any time soon.

The town council insists the repairs will still be carried out, although it will be 2019 or 2020, the centenary of the monument's unveiling, when the job will be completed – and grant applications may be required.

This 2020 date would be eight years after the town council first started to discuss the need for repairs.

At its meeting on December 6, the town council decided to raise an additional £101,441 in its council tax precept for 2019/20.

This will mean a rise of approximately £29.74 per year for a band D property in the town, which works out at 57p per week.

Members of the town's War Memorial Working Party are furious that repairs have been listed as a reason for the council tax precept rise when the town council, at the same time, has shelved a budgeted plan, developed over three years, to get the £20,000 restoration carried out.

Former town mayor, Bob Barnes, who is still a member of the War Memorial Working Party said the council was showing "no respect for the war memorial and the dead of the town".

He added: "I'm disappointed by what has happened. All the arrangements were in place, but the town council decided to reject the recommendations last week."

The town council has recently liaised with a county conservation officer who advised that the main problem appeared to be drainage, and the damage was mainly "cosmetic".

But this seems to be at odds with the views of the War Memorial Working Party, because four out of six of the large base stones are broken, and the monument currently gives the impression it is sinking.

Repairs have been discussed by the council for six years, and there was anger in town when nothing had happened by the time of the Armistice centenary anniversary in November.

Temporary town clerk Mel abOwain said an engineer would be consulted for a new approach, and he said of the scrapped repairs plan: "It's not a rejection. We had reservations about some of the aspects but essentially we are travelling in the same direction."

Grants could be sought from both the War Memorial Trust and Herefordshire Council.

Mr abOwain confirmed that the big rise in the precept, the largest for Ledbury for at least two decades, was "partially" down to the eye-watering legal payouts from the public purse, after the council lost a judicial review.

Commenting on the council tax rise, Cllr Nina Shields, chair of Ledbury Town Council, said: “We are facing a number of challenges at the moment. I asked our committees to do a realistic review of the work we need to undertake in the coming year. In addition we needed to make some provision to replenish our reserves in case of emergency.”

Key features of this programme include improved traffic safety measures; new waste bins across town; enhanced signs in the town; boosting reserves, repairs to the cemetery wall and "repairs to the War Memorial in the event we do not obtain grant funding".

Ledbury Town Council can raise its precept demand by 27 per cent because as a local council it is not capped, unlike Herefordshire Council, which is a unitary authority.

News of the precept rise has led to a mixed response in town.

On the Voice of Ledbury Facebook site, resident Jayne Limb said: "Just 57p per week to put right the wrongs of previous administrations and to cover underfunding from Herefordshire Council? I'm in.

"I would happily pay it to see much needed improvements in and around Ledbury."

But Anthony Webber said: "They raise it and do nothing; grass doesn't get cut."