Plans to restore a Ceredigion war memorial have been backed, but a call has been made urging for it not to be returned to an ‘as new’ condition.

Lampeter Town Council sought listed building permission from Ceredigion planners to restore the Grade-II-listed 1921-built memorial, which overlooks the junction of the town’s College Street, Bryn Road, Station Terrace and North Road, using money from the Transforming Towns fund.

The project is part of Lampeter’s Place Plan “to retain the character of the town and attract vitality, by making full use of its existing assets, by ensuring that our town is attractive, and its resources are accessible to residents and visitors alike,” a supporting statement says.

The bronze statue by W Goscombe John is set within a raised terrace and boundary wall designed by Llewellyn Bankes-Price of Lampeter, erected to commemorate the memory of those killed in the First World War with details of those killed in the Second World War added later, on land donated by the Lloyd Brothers of ‘The Bryn,’ the community raising the funds for the erection of the monument, in memory of its fallen soldiers.

The statement says the war memorial “is of national cultural significance as it was designed and made by W Goscombe John, who was a prolific Welsh sculptor, who received numerous national and international commissions, such as a memorial for the engineers who died on the Titanic and by Lord Leverhulme, to commemorate the Level Brothers Ltd employees, who fell in the First World War”.

The proposed works entail restoring the bronze statue and the stone plinth below, with all letters re-gilded.

“The impact of these works will be beneficial to the statue as it will clean the bronze and return it its original appearance and will enhance the overall appearance of the monument, which in turn will have a positive heritage impact,” the statement says.

“The impact of the works on the stone plinth, will have a positive effect on the condition of the stone, as it will remove any foreign elements, such as grime and lichens. By assessing the condition of the stonework, and draining any water build up inside the plinth, the works will prevent any further deterioration by water damage. The works will also ensure that the deteriorated lettering is restored, to enable the names to be read easily.”

War Memorials Trust has raised some concerns about the proposals, saying: “Although we do not object to conservation works to Lampeter war memorial, the application does not seem to consider the potential negative impacts that the proposed works could have to the level of detail that might be expected to ensure the best conservation practice approach is determined.

“The application seems to aim at returning the war memorial to its original appearance, thus removing any suggestion to its age and historical context. War Memorials Trust advises that the intention of cleaning should be to keep the memorial in a stable condition which allows it to perform its commemorative function. The purpose of cleaning should not be to create a pristine ‘like new’ appearance as most war memorials are historic monuments and that age should be reflected in their appearance.”

The listed building proposals have been approved by county planners.

This is the second application by the town council through the Transforming Towns scheme.

It recently submitted a call to restore the town’s Grade-II-listed Harford Square fountain.

During preparatory examination of the fountain, a carving was discovered, of the name of Julian Cayo-Evans, best known as the leader of the Free Wales Army.