THE group behind the campaign for a new war memorial in Watchet has found itself at loggerheads with local civic leaders.

If planning permission is granted, the memorial will be sited on land outside the town's library, close to the St Decuman mosaic on the Esplanade.

And the group - the Watchet Remembrance Project - wants its name to be on the lease that will have to be signed with West Somerset Council, which owns the Esplanade.

But this week Watchet Town Council said it believed the people of Watchet would be best served by its name going on the lease instead.

It said that as a statutory authority, it would be able to care for the war memorial in perpetuity.

And at its monthly meeting on Monday, the council passed a resolution that it hoped the district council would take note of its wishes.

The issue was debated in response to a letter from Watchet Remembrance Group chairman Robert McDonald.

In it he said that the decision to have the group's name on the lease had been a majority one, with one abstention.

And he made it clear that the group would continue to function and to manage the upkeep of the memorial once it was built.

Mr McDonald said the group had also decided that it no longer required a council representative to sit on its committee.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank the council for all their help, advice and assistance, especially in the early days of getting established," he said.

Mr McDonald said the group would continue to keep the council informed of its progress and plans for the actual unveiling of the memorial next June.

Cllr Pete Murphy, who was the council's representative on the group, said he understood that the decision on whose name appeared on the lease had been taken at a meeting of the trustees, to which he had not been invited.

He told councillors that he had arranged an informal meeting between the group and councillors in early September at which he had asked if the intention was to request the council to take responsibility for the memorial "going forward."

Cllr Murphy said the group had confirmed this was the intention and he had urged them to make the request "sooner rather than later."

"At that time their intention to disband after the memorial had been installed was clearly stated," he said.

Cllr Murphy said he had asked for the council's name to be put on the lease if it was to be the custodian of the memorial but the group had decided it needed to take advice from the district council before making a decision.

When he discovered in mid September that advice had still not been sought, he asked for a meeting to be convened between town council leaders, the district council and the group.

But before that could take place, the letter from Mr McDonald was received.

"I consider it important to have the council's name on the lease rather than the group because the council, as a statutory body, will survive any project group," said Cllr Murphy.

"The Memorial Ground was originally given to a group of Watchet men and as they died off, the council stepped in to take over the area on behalf of the people of Watchet.

"I believe the people of Watchet, is asked, would prefer the council to assume the custodianship of the memorial, rather than leaving it with the group."

Cllr Murphy said he was also sure that the district council would prefer its land was leased to another authority rather than a group, however effective at fundraising it had proved to be and however dedicated to the cause it was at present.

"The group needs to engage with all those bodies whom they expect to pick up the legacy of their project and that includes Watchet Town Council."

Council chairman and town mayor Cllr Loretta Whetlor, who recently stepped down as a member of the group, said it was a registered charity and had put aside money for the future upkeep of the memorial.

But Cllr Janet Tapp said she was concerned who would look after the memorial if the group folded in ten to 15 years time.

However, Cllr Dave Westcott, who is also a district councillor, said the group had now sought advice from the district authority, which had agreed the group's name could be on the lease.

"The only thing outstanding is the planning permission," he said.

"I believe this is a very important issue for Watchet - this memorial means so much to so many people.

"If in the future something else was needed than Watchet Town Council would come forward."

But Cllr Sally de Renzy-Martin said she thought the council should have responsibility for the memorial.

"The project group might evaporate but the council will go on in perpetuity."