A NEW war memorial garden and memorial sculpture is being proposed on Phoenix Lane, Tiverton.

The site is being designed as a focus for commemorative events and will allow many more people than previously to see wreath laying and ceremonies.

The new location has been moved from the initial proposal on Angel Hill following feedback from the public.

There is now an opportunity for the public to view and comment on the new proposals for the memorial garden and sculpture.

This consultation event will be from Monday, November 14, for two weeks and exhibition boards will be available to view in the foyer of Phoenix House.

The display will be unmanned for most of this period; however the council’s conservation pfficer Catherine Marlow will be available to answer questions on Friday, November 18 between 9.30am and 12.30pm.

The new memorial garden will also make provision for the eventual relocation of the Burma Star memorial from Phoenix Lane to the new site, and an opportunity to design a suitable place for the Victoria Cross commemorative paving slab.

This will be given to the town in 2017, 100 years after it was awarded to Private Thomas Sage of Tiverton for gallantry for saving the lives of several comrades by throwing himself onto a grenade whilst fighting East of Ypres.

Paving stones will be awarded to the home towns of every soldier awarded the VC for their actions during World War I.

Tiverton’s current war memorials are the Memorial Hall (erected after the First World War), the American memorial in People’s Park and the Burma Star memorial in Phoenix Lane.