'Harmful' £150k statue that unexpectedly appeared in Cambridge to be torn down

A controversial statue that appeared in Cambridge one morning without any prior warning to residents must be taken down after a dramatic battle between its owners and the city council. The planning inspectorate has ruled that 'The Don' must be removed from its post on the corner of Hills Road and Norwich Street in a ruling that brought a months-long planning battle to an end.

The statue, which has garnered some praise and mostly disgust from locals, appeared suddenly at its current location in July but has been the subject of a planning permission row since March. While some have called it "beautiful" the vast majority of people in Cambridge have been less quick to praise it, including the city council's public art officer, who called it "possibly the poorest quality work that [had] ever been submitted".

Others have described it as having a 'harmful' impact on the area, that it looked "messy" and that they would rather have a tree in its place. Even the £150,000 statue's attributed artist, Pablo Atchugarry, appears to have completely disowned it.

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Perhaps more strange than its appearance was its arrival quietly at 4am one morning by lorry to its current location, having moved only a few meters from the patch of grass outside Charter House where it had previously stood. Since March Cambridge City Council has been trying to remove the the coloured sculpture, which purports to represent Prince Philip in his role as chancellor of Cambridge University, as it had been erected without planning permission or forewarning by its owners.

'The Cambridge Don' being transported
'The Cambridge Don' being moved -Credit:Helen Adams

Its owners had argued the statue didn't require planning permission because it was not a development but with the looming sculpture weighing in at three tonnes and standing four meters tall the city council's planning committee thoroughly disagreed. In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon (September 11), city councillors said the refusal for planning permission for the statue had been upheld by the planning inspectorate and that the statue would have to go.

Katie Porrer, a Market ward councillor who had campaigned against the statue said on the decision: "When this statue appeared in such a prominent location with no notice, no consultation and no planning permission, ward councillors worked with residents and the council to enforce against this. The owner then pursued an appeal at a costly public enquiry, claiming that the statue did not need planning permission at all, despite being 3 tonnes in weight and installed with no discussion with residents, and then that even if it did need permission, it should be granted!

"The inspector instead agreed with the council's view that it was a development which required permission and then rejected permission as the development had not complied with the public art requirements in the city. He also ruled that the owner should pay his costs.

"We are very grateful to the council officers who worked extremely hard on this appeal to put over our case to the inspector, as well as the many local residents who joined with ward councillors to put forward their views, and to those who spoke at the public appeal."

Cllr Anthony Martinelli, also a councillor for the Market ward, added: "Whilst opinions of public art vary, it is clear that any large artwork like this in a conservation needs to comply with the Public Art guidelines for the city, Applying for planning permission is part of the democratic process that allows residents to be consulted on these kind of developments and our residents were denied the chance to do this.

"Our aim has always been to allow residents to have their voices heard and to ensure that in future, developments can be scrutinised via the correct and appropriate channels.”