We want memorial to miners on Rugeley island
'The people have voted and they want the memorial here' – those are the words of miner society members in Staffordshire who are adamant that a £70,000 memorial should be built on a busy roundabout.
Concerns have been raised by Staffordshire County Council and Rugeley Town Council over plans to create the monument featuring four miners on the Globe Island, which connects three busy roads in Rugeley.
They have voiced fears that the monument could affect visibilty and that people may run across the road and on to the island to get a closer look at the memorial.
But Brian Batey, chairman of Lea Hall and Brereton Collieries Memorial Society, insists the site is the ideal location for it to be built.
He said: "We have previously met with the highways committee with cardboard life-sized cut-outs of the miners and they said there were no issues with health or safety.
"I think the concern is that people might want to walk on the island to look at plaques bearing the names of miners, but I can categorically state that there will not be any plaques or bricks with any miners names on them, so there would be no reason for them to try and get onto the island.
"Rugeley Town Council wants to put the memorial in the town, but people would climb all over it and draw on it which wouldn't be right after we have spent so long campaigning for it.
"There are so many towns and cities in the country that have paid tribute to their miners but we haven't been able to do that.
"We are not going to start looking at alternative locations because the people of Rugeley and Brereton have voted and they want the memorial to be built on the Globe island."
The site was granted planning permission by Cannock Chase Council in August.
Mr Batey, whose late father and brother Ian were both miners, is inviting councillors opposing the project to meet with the society.
Mr Batey was meeting with the county council today to discuss the plans.
