Barbara Castle statue is definitely on the move

Bill Jacobs

27 May 2024 at 0:00 am·1-min read

The statue of former Blackburn MP Barbara Castle at the Victoria Centre, Blakey Moor in Blackburn. Picture date: Saturday October 9, 2021..

The way has been cleared for the relocation of the statue of former Blackburn MP and Labour cabinet minister Barbara Castle to go ahead,

The larger than life-size bronze artwork is currently hidden by hoardings in front of Blackburn College in Jubilee Square while refurbishment work to the Victoria Building takes place.

It can now move to the town's Cathedral Square for three years before being returned to its current location.

The relocation to the new site was approved by Blackburn with Darwen Council planning committee on Thursday.

A report to councillors by borough planning manager Gavin Prescott says: "This application was previously presented to the April 18 meeting where the proposed statute was positioned in a slightly different location.

"The original site was not viable due to the location of the structural wall to the side of the culvert that sits immediately below the paving.

"As such, the planning application was deferred.

"A number of other locations on Cathedral Square were subsequently investigated and the most suitable alternative temporary site has now been identified.

"The site remains set to the front of One Cathedral Square and the East elevation of the Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin, but positioned on the broad paved area, closest to the Cathedral grounds."

After her House of Commons career, she was also a Euro-MP and a member of the House of Lords as Baroness Castle of Blackburn.

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