Thatcham Town Council approves proposal for Thatcham Broadway gate around Victoria Cross Memorial Stones

Funding for the installation of a gate at Thatcham Broadway has been approved.

A finance and general purposes committee at Thatcham Town Council has set aside £890 for a gate at the southern end of the Broadway.

This request came from the council's town centre committee following an installation of war memorial stones in this area.

The stones – called Victoria Cross memorial stones – sit on plinths on the end of the Broadway Green that meets Gardner Leader.

The proposed gate would sit between the two hedges at this end of the Broadway. Currently there is a small gap between the greenery.

The committee discussed the benefits of the installation but not everybody saw the need for the spend.

Chairman of the town centre committee Owen Jeffery said the gate would provide dignity for the memorial stones and safety for those using the space to view them.

He said: "In terms of dignity I think it would close it off in a nice and presentable way.

"In terms of safety, you have more people than have been going down to that end of the Broadway to look at the stones, particularly youngsters.”

But councillor Jeff Brooks said that, despite the request not being for a huge sum of money, there isn't a need for such a gate.

He said the location was a dangerous area with double yellow lines and suggested that an accessible gate may encourage pedestrians to use it as an access point – more so than they would now.

He said: "I am puzzled by the access being required at all if I am honest because just thirty yards [either side] there are tarmac accesses to that area so that is not an access point.

"Forgive me but why would you put a gate there when, when you step out, you're going to be run over.

"There's no pavement there, it's a curb.

"Surely put some hedges in that would cost less than £980."

He added: "If anything [close] it up, don't put a gate there.

"[Close] it up to stop people walking into a dangerous part of the road."

Despite this, Mr Brooks joined the other councillors – bar one – voting in favour of the spend.

The funds came from existing community infrastructure levy receipts.