Last updated at 16:15, Saturday, 30 January 2010

A WAR of words has erupted over the restoration of a monument.

Martin Stables has had several letters published in the Evening Mail in which he questioned the sense of some of the work being carried out on the Sir John Barrow Monument, Ulverston.

Mr Stables, a builder for 40 years, of Urswick, is concerned the monument restoration group’s plan to paint the exterior of the building will cause damage to the structure in the future.

He also alleged the restoration group failed to tender-out some work to local companies and, therefore, failed to pump thousands of pounds back into the local economy.

The revamp will cost £1.35m.

Ulverston councillor Colin Williams, a member of the monument restoration group, has reacted angrily to Mr Stables’ points with an entry on his online blog.

Cllr Williams said Mr Stables’ comments were wide of the mark by “a million miles” and argued the paint job is only a “minor part” of the overall project to make the landmark safe so the public can once again enter.

It has been closed since 2003, mainly because of water leakage.

Cllr Williams wrote: “This is not about some paint job to cover over cracks. For goodness sake, this project has been costed and scrutinised to the nth degree by the Heritage Lottery and English Heritage.”

Cllr Williams added: “As for using local labour, we did try to do this but the work is so specialised that we had to bring in experts from outside the area. Just look at the scaffolding, never mind the work of the masons being employed. If we had these skills available locally we would have used them.”

The restoration group hired Preston-based restoration specialists Lambert Walker to carry out most of the work.

Local firms IT Shaw (ground works) and ADW Electrical (lighting) were brought in during the early stages of the work.

But Mr Stables is adamant more local companies could have been involved in the project – which involves internal, as well as external, work.

Responding to Cllr Williams’ blog, he said: “I beg to differ and I would imagine a good few others would too.

“By implication, he is saying no local plumbers, electricians, painters/decorators, window suppliers and fitters, steel work fabricators and scaffolders have the necessary skills to carry out any of the required work in these areas.

“Who did they try? And how hard?

“If he (Cllr Williams) and they (the restoration group) are all so right and I’m all so wrong, then do they have a cast-iron guarantee the work being done will keep the water out and halt all the inherent problems it will and has caused?

“Not the paint guarantee (of 15 years), as that alone is worthless to protect this amount of investment.”

First published at 13:14, Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk