COUNCILLORS have agreed that they need to make sure that it is a day for the town to remember when The Rifles are given the Freedom of Wellington later this summer – although that will come at a “significant” expense.

The Army’s largest infantry regiment, The Rifles, is to be granted the Freedom of the Town on June 17 in recognition of its links with Wellington dating back nearly 400 years.

The Rifles will parade through the town from Wellington School from about 2pm and go down South Street and into Fore Street and stop outside the town council offices for the official Freedom ceremony before the parade continues down Fore Street and into Bulfordand back to Wellington School via an entrance by Wellington Community Hospital.

And now, given the date of June 17 falls within the window for celebrating Armed Forces Day, it has been agreed between the council and the regiment that the two events are combined.

Town clerk Dave Farrow, in a report which went before the council’s full monthly meeting on March 6, said that a budget of £15,460 had been drawn up.

“An initial budget was set at the beginning of the year for The Rifles event of £2,500 based on our understanding of what was entailed at that point and we also set aside a budget of £1,000 for Armed Forces Day and Remembrance events,” said Mr Farrow.

“Having now had a number of meetings with The Rifles representatives and given the desire to make the events significant for the town it is clear that the initial budget is not sufficient and needs to be increased significantly.”

Mr Farrow added: “Whilst these costs are significant, we expect to be able to cover some of the costs through the use of the Emergency High Street Recovery Fund and through possible sponsorship from local companies.”

Councillors agreed on March 6 to go-ahead with the proposals with funds coming from general reserves to cover the costs.

Mr Farrow said: “We want to do this justice and make it a very special occasion.”

And Cllr Andrew Govier said: “We are committed to this and we need to do it right.”

Although the parade through the town will be the feature event, other activities will take place during the day to mark the occasion with Wellington Recreation Ground provisionally booked to host re-enactment groups.

The local regiment of the Somerset (Prince Albert’s) Light Infantry 13th Foot was formed in 1685 in the aftermath of the Duke of Monmouth’s defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor.

The regiment then became part of the Somerset Light Infantry and was involved in the famous Battle of Waterloo in 1815 with the Duke of Wellington – as part of the Peninsular Wars – and commemorated with the Wellington Monument.

The Somerset Light Infantry eventually became part of The Rifles – the Army’s largest infantry regiment – in 2007.