PLANS to transform a war memorial could be approved next week despite objections from an organisation which protects monuments to the fallen.

Malton and Norton Rotary Club has drawn up proposals to open up the area around the memorial in Malton, including a new stone commemorating those killed in conflict and a permanent flagpole, extra steps, two seats and the relocation of a wall.

The club has said the scheme would improve it visually and allow the area to be better used for memorial services. Ryedale District Council’s planning committee has been recommended to approve the plans.

However, The War Memorials Trust has lodged concerns, saying the work is unnecessary and could leave the memorial plaques at risk of damage.

They are also unhappy that panels bearing the names of those who lost their lives in wartime would be moved away from the central memorial cross.

Rotary members have been researching the names of those recorded on the memorial and building up a database on the club’s website.

They made the application because they believe the site, a prominent landmark in the town, is looking “past its best”. The panels list 102 names, 82 of which were victims of the First World War.

In a letter to the council, the War Memorials Trust’s conservation officer Emma Nelson said the scheme would mean “the memorial cross and plaques can no longer be read as a unified piece”.

But a report by council planning officer Edward Senior said: “The site is intended for memorial services and, at present, its layout and proximity to the public highway prevents it from being used effectively for that purpose.

“It is considered the proposed alterations would improve the usability of the site for its intended purpose. While the comments of the War Memorials Trust are acknowledged, the relocation of the plaques is important in sustaining and enhancing the significance of the heritage asset.”

Earlier this year, two men were arrested after a German flag hanging outside St Michael’s Tavern in the Mount Hotel, Yorkersgate – close to the war memorial – was removed and burned. One man received a community disposal order by police, ordering him to replace the flag and apologise to its owners, while no further action was taken against the other.