A PROJECT to erect a memorial to 25 pilots who crashed in the Forest of Bowland and the Ribble Valley during the Second World War has stalled.

The Clitheroe Youth Forum was in the process of organising for a memorial boulder to be unveiled in the area later this year after planning permission was secured.

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However the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has held up the project in a dispute over the impact the memorial will have on the landscape and it’s position.

A meeting is due to be staged on May 5 between men in 2013 after being awarded a £27,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund after two-and-a-half years appealing for the money.

The ‘We Shall Remember Them’ project discovered the names and nationalities of the 25 airman who lost their lives in 15 accidents in the area during the war.

The 23 member strong group found that the airmen were from Britain (seven), America (nine), Poland (four), and one each from New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

The group, run by Mel Diack, is aiming to place the memorial on land west of Trough Road and south of Langden Rive near Dunsop Bridge.

The crash sites include Longridge Fell, Dunsop Bridge, Bleasdale Fell, Gisburn and Pendle Hill.

The forum is also aiming to place stones at all crash sites before the main memorial is unveiled.

Mr Diack said: “Families from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, America and of course across the UK have had to be told there is another delay.

“I would rather have had a larger memorial boulder which by the way is of natural stone and from the local quarry at Kemple End.

“Already because of the agreement made with everyone who attended our meetings held in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offices which Elliot Lorimer couldn’t attend we agreed to the smaller size boulder and which means Pilot Haythornthwaite will be taken out of alphabetical order and listed at the bottom of the names which will sadly look like an over site.

“If the boulder size is reduced any further the names of these heroes will not be seen properly as they will be too small.

“These men died for freedom and liberty and here we are debating over inches.

“This is very saddening and disheartening when so much good by so many people has been done.”

A spokesman for the AONB said: “We are working to try to come up with a reasonable solution that everybody is happy with.”