Oswestry park gun WILL make way for Wilfred Owen statue
An artillery gun in Oswestry Cae Glas Park will be moved to make way for a statue of war poet Wilfred Owen - despite objections from ex-soldiers.
Oswestry Town Council has decided to relocate the 25-pounder gun in Cae Glas Park to accommodate a new statue of the famous poet.
However, it won't be moving far, as councillors voted to move it to one side and have it stand alongside a new statue of Owen, which has been commissioned to mark the centenary of the First World War.
The gun has been in the park for the last 30 years, paying tribute to all the gunners who passed through Park Hall camp during the war.
The Wrexham branch of the Royal Artillery objected to the proposals to move the gun and said a statue of Owen should not take precedence over the memorial gun or any other war hero.
Chairman Jim Wadkin said Owen is already generously represented in the town with a school, pub and street all named after him.
Speaking at a special council meeting, Chris Woods, said: "I don't want to be disrespectful but I feel like it's a discussion for the people of Oswestry as to where the statue to the war poet, Wilfred Owen, goes. His war record speaks for itself.
"There is already the memorial gates with more than 300 names of people who died in the First World War. That's a fitting memorial in itself.
"I don't think moving the gun detracts from it."
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Councillor Sandy Best said the Cae Glas Park management committee met last month and put forward suggestions to create a flower bed centrepiece and position the gun and statue either side of it.
The proposal was accepted unanimously by the council.
They will now have to find an extra £20,000 to complete the work as the area will need to be redesigned.
It had already set aside a budget of £40,000 for the statue which is being moulded at Castle Fine Art Foundry.
