As reported in the Great Barr Observer tonight and here on FACEBOOK that the Lottery funding was received for the Barr Beacon memorial.
BREAKING NEWS: Barr Beacon War Memorial is to be restored to its former glory after securing a £440,000 Lottery grant. The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced that the owners of the historic monument – which has been repeatedly targeted by metal thieves over the past two years, stripping copper off its domed roof and causing thousands of pounds’ worth of damage – have been successful in their bid for cash.
Now work can begin on the three-year project to transform the monument and the rest of the 240-acre site – helping it to once again be the jewel in Great Barr’s crown. A full restoration of the site’s heritage features – including a rare design of flagpole and an historic tree plantation, in addition to the war memorial – will now be possible.
Once restored, the monument will be re-dedicated as a memorial to servicemen and women throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, while the funding will also play an important role in bringing the site to life as a valued community resource. Services of Remembrance are also planned to be held at the site once the work is completed.
Well done to all involved but I have one reservation.
Unless there are regular security patrols up there then we may see further damage.
News and Views about Pheasey Park Farm 
Spot on with the security comment. I looked with interest in the Observer article to see how much of the money would go to security but there was no mention of the issue except for reference to SafeWater presumably a watermark on the metal. Will that deter thieves who go to a dodgy scrap merchant? If the metal is stolen again I suggest we sadly acknowledge the times we live in and give up on the dome. This must be the third time that the memorial has received funding in recent years. If it lasts, fine I couldn’t be more pleased. If not then sadly those elements of our society who don’t respect the dead have won in this instance.
agreed Duncan and the Beacon has had various fundings recently but because it is vulnerable to theft and vandalism etc then security is really required
Hi Duncan, Hi Ian,
It’s great news that the Barr Beacon War Memorial, one of Great Barr’s, the Black Country’s and South Staffordshire’s iconic monuments, has received this funding; so to echo Ian’s very worthy comment, well done to everyone involved for securing this much needed funding.
I fully endorse both of your concerns with regard to the future security of the memorial; and would suggest that the only way to prevent future sacrilege and theft at Barr Beacon, is to completely outlaw ALL cash for metal transactions throuhout the four countries of the United Kingdom; and for Parliament to remove the Fib-Dem amendment to a proposal to end all metal cash payments, that removes ‘itinerant metal collectors’ from the measure. To work, outlawing all cash sales for metal
has to apply to EVERYONE, to ensure that the ever growing menace of metal theft is ended for good.
All I can say Steve is that I and many others I know totally 100% agree with banning cash payments.
Why it is has not been implemented (such a easy change) we would have to ask the government.
Hi Ian,
Yep; Absolutely. I’d say that like ourselves, a majority of British citizens would see making this necessary and long overdue change to the sale of all metals, as an ‘easy’ procedure; and implementation of the measure shouldn’t be a problem. The majority of us here, whether we’re members and supporters of the English Democrats, ‘Real’ Labour, Euro-Labour, Conservatives or UKIP, should push the Fib-Dems into removing their ‘wrecking amendment’ to the proposal.
not being political here Steve but I know the vast majority believe it should happen and certainly my local party does.