Statue plans withdrawn amid safety concerns
A CONTROVERSIAL proposal by Stratford businessman Tony Bird to erect a statue of William Shakespeare on Bridge Street traffic island in the town has been withdrawn.
The plan had been opposed by Stratford Town Council, Warwickshire County Council’s highways department and by Stratford district councillor Jason Fojtik (Lab, Clopton), the ward member for the location.
The statue, cast in bronze, is the work of renowned sculptor James Butler, a member of the Royal Academy, and was created at his studio in Radway.
Interestingly, the withdrawal of this plan has come hot on the heels of the unveiling of a “rival” statue of the Bard on Bancroft Gardens by American sculptor Lawrence Holofcener just over three weeks ago.
However, the chief criticisms of Mr Butler’s 14 feet statue, which would have been on a stone plinth by Barclays Bank, have centred on road safety issues.
Stratford Town Council, for instance, said it welcomed the principle of a statue of Shakespeare in the town – but not at that location.
In a formal objection to the proposal, the council said: “The position on a roundabout is totally unsuitable because it will cause a highway safety issue.
“Tourists will be at risk when crossing the road to see it, take pictures of it, etc. A more suitable location in a more appropriate accessible setting should be sought.”
Warwickshire County Council said: “The proposed site for the statue is unsuitable on grounds of highway safety. The roundabout has five arms (Bridge Street, Wood Street, High Street, Union Street and Henley Street) and is a busy roundabout.
“There is the potential of vehicle conflict due to motorists looking at the statue and not concentrating on the traffic, as well as the potential for pedestrians/vehicle conflicts should pedestrians step out onto the carriageway to take photographs of the statue.”
Cllr Fojtik said: “This roundabout in the centre of Stratford is extremely busy with large volumes of traffic using it every day.
“With this in mind I believe the statue will distract motorists, causing danger to other vehicles and pedestrians. Also, this is a very tight pinch point, particularly around Barclays Bank with large numbers of tourists going to and from Henley Street.”
Attempts by the Herald last week to obtain a comment from Mr Bird were unsuccessful.
