A war memorial in Bordon looks set to change hands and location amid confusion and anger over its removal.

Another little bit of the town’s history is being lost to housing as the Canadian war memorial on Budds Lane has been removed to make way for a McCarthy Stone retirement community.

The memorial is dedicated to the soldiers from the North American country who were based at Bordon Garrison and marks the spot of a temporary Canadian chapel.

It’s currently being restored but won’t return to the site as work on a retirement living development will begin in Spring 2025.

While the land is not consecrated, some residents feel the removal of the stone and memorial garden is disrespectful to the town’s heritage and the soldiers it honours.

The stone seems certain to be repositioned next to the town’s main war memorial on Camp Road with town councillors backing the change of ownership and relocation last week.

“The memorial has been permanently removed and the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company has offered to transfer ownership to WTC and place it on the land adjacent to the war memorial,” said Cllr Andy Tree during last Thursday’s executive committee meeting.

“It can’t go back as it has been permanently removed – the question is where it goes back to.”

Deputy town clerk Ray Ramsay queried the move as believed McCarthy Stone would include the monument in a memorial garden.

Bruce Collinson, WBRC project manager, said the area would be re-landscaped as part of the development but the garden would be “just a space” and not a memorial one.

He added: “There was a general agreement it makes sense to co-locate all the memorials together and pass the guardianship of that stone to WTC because then its future is secured in perpetuity.”