Council left with £44,000 bill after removing controversial Cambridge Don statue
More than £44,000 of taxpayers’ money was spent forcing the removal of the controversial Cambridge Don statue, which was put up without planning permission.
The figure it cost Cambridge City Council to fight to uphold its enforcement notice to get the controversial statue removed was revealed following a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The four-metre tall, three-tonne, cast bronze sculpture is said to represent Prince Philip in his role as Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, and is said to have cost £150,000.
The council issued an enforcement notice earlier this year stating the statue had been erected on land outside Charter House in Hills Road without planning permission.
The authority said the statue needed to be removed from the site as it did not have permission to be there. However, Unex Ltd appealed against the enforcement notice, arguing the statue was never fixed to the ground and therefore did not need planning permission.
An inquiry was held where a planning inspector heard arguments from both sides before concluding that putting up the statue on a concrete foundation was development and therefore required planning permission. The statue has since been removed.
Responding to a Freedom of Information request, the council said it spent £41,984.14 (inclusive of VAT) on the professional barrister, who helped to defend the authority at the inquiry and during the appeal. It also said £2,231.40 (inclusive of VAT) was spent on a consultancy fee from Arup concerning advice on the structural integrity of the concrete, the safety of the sculpture and a review of the appellant’s structural report. Council officers’ time was also used as they provided their expertise as witnesses at the inquiry.
The city council said: “As we have said throughout this process, it’s frustrating that the council has had to spend time and money to achieve this outcome, but the inspector’s decision makes it very clear that planning policies are in place for a reason and should be respected.”
