No right to sell

It had, as its name states, a dual purpose, as firstly, a war memorial and secondly, as a cottage hospital to serve the local need.

When, in 1948, under the 1946 Act, the Secretary of State for Health took over the Knutsford War Memorial Hospital, his only right was to run the hospital for the benefit of local people.

His business was not with Knutsford War Memorial; nor should it have been, since the war memorial was about remembrance of the dead not about the health of the living.

His only duty towards Knutsford War Memorial was to ensure that it was preserved intact and available for the use of the local community which built it.

When the double shuffle of 1995 took place, it was about using the health facility for purposes other than the National Health Service.

British Red Cross acquired, without public knowledge – and for no payment – our Knutsford Cottage Hospital.

It did not acquire our Knutsford War Memorial; nor should it have.

Knutsford War Memorial belongs to the community of the Knutsford area.

Since our Knutsford Cottage Hospital is currently up for sale, against the wishes of the community, by a charity - which has eight of its executive officers on a base rate of more than £100,000 per year and its chief executive on £173,000 per year – it seems that charity is running short of money.

However, it has no right to sell our Knutsford War Memorial, since the Secretary of State for Health had no right to acquire our Knutsford War Memorial and therefore our Knutsford War Memorial should be sacrosanct to those of this community who died and are remembered there.

Has anyone from British Red Cross or Knutsford Town Council asked that community – which includes individuals in various parishes including my own – whether they are happy to have their war memorial sold and/or desecrated?

I believe they will find the answer enlightening and distressing and invite them to do so.

Charlotte Peters Rock Cheshire Area for Cheshire Action Allostock