A mother whose four sons were murdered 19 years ago has been left totally heartbroken after discovering the memorial that was created in their memory has been ruined by housing developers. Sam Tolley lost her four children - Joshua, seven, Thomas, six, Callum, five, and Daniel, three - in the most horrifying circumstances back in 2003.
The boys were murdered by their father Keith Young, who forced his wife to listen on the phone as he took their lives before taking his own. A memorial garden was set up in memory of the children at Handley Hill Primary School where they attended. But Sam was shocked when she turned up at her children's memorial this week to find that Linden Homes had destroyed the garden, telling CheshireLive it had been "trashed".
Sam Tolley said in a Facebook post: "My boys' memorial garden. What do I do or who do I go and see? Totally heartbroken. How can they do this and get away with it? No warning to tell me, I turn up and looks like this. I was told the garden under no circumstances would be touched, devastated isn't the word.”
The school was closed by Cheshire County Council back in 2009 and property developers Linden Homes were then given permission to build houses on the school's site years later. However one key condition of the planning approval was that the developers had to keep the memorial garden as part of the new development.
It had been agreed that the developers would meet up with Sam to discuss plans of how the new memorial garden would look when it was completed as it was a condition of planning approval that the memorial garden would be retained, but this has not happened. Work to clear up vegetation from the site and prepare the ground for the new garden has started, but there was no consultation between all parties that the work was to begin.
Linden Homes says there had been some confusion regarding the start of the work due to a changeover of personnel on the site and that the garden was to be kept “in situ” until the revised plans were agreed on by all parties.
A spokesperson for Vistry Group which incorporates Linden Homes said: “A new memorial garden is being created, retaining the existing wall and incorporating Sam’s ideas, such as the inclusion of tractors within the design in tribute to her sons. There will also be an ornamental tree with a special memorial plaque, four more trees to symbolise the boys, and benches for people to sit and reflect.
"We met with Sam at the site in August to discuss the plans but we are sorry if there has been any misunderstanding about the timescales of that work that has caused upset – and we have a meeting with Sam and Winsford Mayor Cllr Nathan Pardoe on Thursday to go through the design and the timetable. Currently the overgrown vegetation is being cleared as the land is prepared for work to start on the new garden next month, with the intention that Sam continues to be involved in this process throughout.”
Cllr Pardoe weighed in on the issue, saying Linden Homes 'must deliver on its promise' to protect the memory of Joshua, Thomas, Callum and Daniel Young.
“Plans were drawn up last summer for the reinstatement of the memorial garden," the mayor of Winsford said. "Linden Homes staff are aware of how important this garden is to the Winsford community and always intended to reinstate it. The most important thing is that the wishes of the family continue to be incorporated into plans for reinstatement, with this in mind I'll be attending a site visit along with Sam and Linden Homes.
"All involved want to see a memorial garden that remembers Joshua, Thomas, Callum and Daniel appropriately. Linden Homes must deliver on its promise to protect their memory by restoring the garden and work closely with Sam to reinstate it with care and sensitivity.”
Linden Homes, Cllr Nathan Pardoe, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Sam Tolley are arranging a meeting this week to sort out the situation and make clear exactly what Sam’s wishes are for the revised memorial garden.
A spokesman for Cheshire West and Chester Council added: “The council has long been conscious of the need to respect this important memorial, which remembers the four boys from Winsford who attended the school.
