THE new council has been accused of “wiping away” the town’s history after opting to take down portraits of all former borough mayors from the walls of Ellesmere Port Civic Hall.
Ex-councillor Brian Jones, who was mayor back in 1989 and 2004/05, is furious that Cheshire West and Chester Council temporarily removed the portraits.
He said: “To take the pictures down is a disgrace. It’s disrespectful to all the former mayors who represented the Queen and 85,000 residents.
“It’s like the old borough council never existed. They’re wiping away our history.”
According to Cllr Justin Madders, the pictures were taken down last week and left piled up in an office until he contacted CWAC chief executive Steve Robinson who ordered them to be put back up temporarily.
Cllr Madders added: “The new authority feel it would be better if they were taken down. I don’t agree with it and would prefer them to be kept up, they are part of the town’s history.”
A CWAC spokesman said the portraits could yet remain inside the Civic Hall with the town retaining its own a mayor.
He said: “Naturally each of the former authorities is justifiably proud of its civic heritage and consequently all portraits and records of former mayors and chairman will have their special place in the county’s archives.
“The originals have been offered to relatives of those civic dignitaries as a lasting memento of both the subjects and their distinguished service to county and district.
“In the meantime Ellesmere Port will have its own mayor – selected by The Charter Trustees – and a mayor’s parlour within the Civic Hall where, with permission of the trustees, mayoral portraits could well be hung.”
