PLANS to rebuild the original top section of Wellington Monument in the town have been scrapped - after it was discovered that 50 per cent of the stonework had gone missing.

When the National Trust carried out repair work to the Monument it decided that the stones that formed the pyramidion – the top section – would need to be totally replaced.

It was then suggested that the stones could be removed and stored until an opportunity arose to reconstruct the pyramidion and Wellington Town Council got involved and said it would make an excellent feature at the planned Station Square for the town’s new railway station.

But town councillors were left flummoxed at this month’s full council meeting on August 3 when they discovered that virtually half of the stonework needed to rebuild the pyradmidion had vanished.

The council’s chief executive, Dave Farrow, said that he had recently been informed that they only had 50 per cent of the stone work needed for pyramidion.

“Somewhere along the way a significant amount of stones have gone missing,” he said.

Mr Farrow explained that it would mean the council having to pay for replacement stone to be quarried and prepared for the forming of a pyramidion.

And he added: “So we’ve got half the stones and the other half would have to be brought in – so I’m not sure how it would become the pyramidion of the Wellington Monument?”

The update came after he had recommended in a report recommending that the council went ahead with phase one of the pyramidion reconstruction project which would cost in the region of £12,000 - £3,100 for professional fees for an architect and engineer and then £8,745 for a stonemason to sort and assess the existing stone.

The report also said the costs of the actual reconstruction were unknown, but the money would come from the council’s allocated railway station reserve budget of £30,000.

But following the news that half of the stonework was missing Mr Farrow advised councillors: “Don’t approve what I have recommended in the report for you to approve! I don’t think we can carry out the work – councillors need to decide whether we proceed with this at all.”

Cllr Keith Wheatley said it now felt as if this project had “blank chequebook” written all over it.

“When the monument was rebuilt it was full of excitement and we were going to have this pyramidion in many places with a scheme written on the back of an envelope and riding on euphoria,” he said.

“We have now come up against reality. Half of the stones are missing and we’ve got no idea what the cost will be to replace them and do we actually go-ahead and build a pyramidion which isn’t even the real pyramidion?”

Cllr John Thorne quipped: “I’m sure the chief executive will leave no stone unturned on this!”

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.

Councillors agreed to scrap plans to rebuild the pryamidion in Wellington, but to ask council officers to look what can be done with the stones they have.