Campaigners confident of success over Shrewsbury's Lord Hill statue replacement
Fundraisers today said they are confident Shropshire Council will be able to secure grant funding to replace one of the county's iconic landmarks.
The Friends of Lords Hill's Column have been fundraising and raising awareness of the need to replace the 200-year-old statue of Lieutenant-General Rowland Lord Hill, at Shirehall, Shrewsbury.
Lord Hill had served as one of Wellington's commanders at the Battle of Waterloo.
The column is owned and maintained by Shropshire Council, which is seeking grants for the project which it will match fund.
A replacement is being sought to minimise the ongoing expenses from repairs to the landmark.
The Rev Richard Hayes, a member of the Friends of Lord Hill, said that the statue was of huge importance to the county.
He said: "It is so important. We know what we have, we understand its value and we are not afraid to say so.
"We all know the difficult times we are in and I just hope this one will survive with grant aid from national bodies for what is a very important project.
"The Friends are doing their best to help the council in a small way with our fundraising but also we are doing what we can to raise the profile of the project."
Mr Hayes said he was confident that the project will be successful.
He said: "I am very confident because I believe it is actually a project of national importance, Hill is a national figure and this is something very important which will bring tourists to Shropshire."
Steph Jackson, Shropshire Council's head of commercial services, said the council is committed to replacing the statue.
She said: "As owners of the Grade II* listed Lord Hill statue and column, Shropshire Council has a responsibility for maintaining the structure. The statue in particular has had a number of significant repairs and the council, along with the Friends of Lord Hill Column, are now seeking support to replace it.
"The council will seek funding from a variety of sources and commit to providing the match funding required to secure the replacement statue.
"Early indications of the costs of replacing the Lord Hill statue including ancillary costs are estimated at not more than £500,000."
The pair have raised around £2,500 with their efforts as well as considerable awareness of the campaign.
Mr Hayes said the challenge had been worth the effort.
He said: "It has been hot at times and we are a little foot sore, but it has been mostly good weather. It created a great deal of public attention, with people coming up and making kind contributions often unexpectedly.
"People have been honking their horns and just joining in the fun.
"The main thing has been to raise awareness of the need for repairs and the importance of Lord Hill as a great figure of Shropshire and part of history."
