Skegness Magazine

WHY RAILINGS ARE BEING REMOVED
EVERY CWT. COUNTS IN THE SCALES OF VICTORY

Gates and railings in Skegness and Mablethorpe have been scheduled for removal, and the work of severing and despatching to the foundries will be started shortly by the Ministry of Works.
The huge task of collecting the nation’s railings has been proceeding steadily since the early autumn of last year, and many areas have already been cleared. Now it is our turn to contribute to the national melting pot.
All over the country railings are being collected from some 100,000 houses every week, at an average rate of 9,000 – 10,000 tons. At one period the weekly rate was 12,000 tons.

For many months, London, where intensive collection, of railings was in progress before work started in the Provinces, yielded more than half the total. But though many tons have still to be collected in the Metropolis, London’s weekly rate has been dropping steadily, and the Provinces now supply the larger percentage.
Gates and railings are a most valuable source of raw material for our war weapons, because they are quickly located, and require a minimum labour compared with other forms of scrap-metal, and are usually near enough to be easily transported.

The demand for iron and steel becomes more urgent as the tempo of the war increases. A garden gate weighing, say, one cwt., will supply enough iron to make the metal parts for 50 rifles. Two hundred-weight of railings—the average yield from a small villa—will supply the metal to make 10 Bren guns. And every Bren gun, every hundredweight, counts in the scales of victory.

Some confusion exists in the public mind as to the responsibility for scheduling and removing railings. The Local Authority prepares a schedule of railings in its area, posting public notices to that effect. The schedules are sent to the Ministry of Works, and the work of severing and removal is carried out by contractors working to the Ministry’s instructions.
The surrendering of railings is compulsory—the term railings includes gates, bollards, chains, etc. and unless they came within the undermentioned categories they will be scheduled ,for removal:-

(1) Required for safety or security reasons (e.g. where they protect a basement area).
(2) Required for the enclosure of cattle.
(3) Railings of special artistic or historic merit.

The Local Authority decides, when schedules are prepared, what railings are to be retained under (1) and (2).
An owner of railings may appeal under (3), in which case his appeal is considered by a local panel to which an architect is nominated by the Ministry of Works. Railings exempted under this heading are very few.
Between the posting of the notices of scheduling and the actual removal, a period of fourteen days is allowed in which owners of railings may make this appeal. A notice of removal appears in the local press seven days before work starts; and to ensure that the public is properly informed, contractors have been instructed to deliver a notice to each occupier whose railings are to be taken.
It is hoped that owners will give their railings or will accept compensation at a rate of 25s, per ton.
They should apply to their Local Authority for the appropriate form.
If owners are unwilling to accept the rate of compensation, a standard claim may be made under the provisions of the Compensation Act. The statutory form can be obtained front the Local Authority.

Tenants are under no liability to their landlords because of the removal of railings, nor for accidents to a third Party which are consequent upon this removal. If a person wishes to dispose of his gates or railings before he receives notice of requisition he is entitled w do so. But he can then claim. no compensation from the Government, nor can he be relieved of any legal obligation to which he may be a party as an owner or a tenant.
No substitute for railings can be erected at the public expense. Nor can licences for alternative materials, e.g. timber, be granted.    Supplies of material will not allow this  luxury in war-time.

Source: Skegness News 1943