Newark and Sherwood District Council cabinet approve £87,000 plans to install Kiddey Stones at Castle House — despite 57% unsupportive public consultation responses

£87,000 plans to site the Kiddey Stones at Castle House have been approved, despite the majority of public survey responses being unsupportive.

The decision was taken at a meeting of Newark and Sherwood District Council’s cabinet last night (Tuesday, December 10), which will, subject to a loan agreement with Newark Town Council, see the four panels, depicting stages of electricity production, installed outside the council’s Castle House headquarters.

Council leader Paul Peacock described the proposal as the ‘only one possible’ at this time, and stated: “The location we’re suggesting is much of an improvement to where they’ve been [under tarpaulin] for the last 40 years.”

The installation will come at an estimated cost of £87,430, a more than £6,000 increase since it was agreed in principle in June. This is in addition to the £15,175 already spent on feasibility works and restoration of the stones.

Robert Kiddey was a notable sculptor who created many works on civic buildings, and was a teacher at Newark’s Technical College for half a century .

A recent public consultation found that of an ‘unprecedented’ 881 responses, 57.32% were unsupportive, and 40.75% were supportive, with the remaining unclear.

These were considered at the November policy and performance improvement committee, which presented a number of considerations to cabinet — including the potential to consider a different location.

Rowan Cozens, portfolio holder for heritage, culture and the arts, said: “We always value public feedback, it’s wonderful that 881 people were engaged in this.

“The feedback against comes down largely to cost… for, the points are all to do with the culturally historical significance, recognition of our industrial past, support for art in the public realm, and the attraction for visitors at a gateway site into Newark town, and of course the celebration of a local artist. Location has also been a big issue for a lot of people.”

It was highlighted that over the past 40 years, the sculptures have spent out of public view — largely under tarpaulin in Newark Cemetery — since they were gifted to Newark Town Council after the demolition of Wilford Power Station.

A number of proposed sites and plans for installation have been discussed but not gone ahead, including Newark Northgate station, the Millgate Museum, Newark Town Hall, Newark College, St Mark’s Place, The Magnus School, and the police station.

Ms Cozens added: “Kiddey is well known for his sculptures all over civic buildings in Nottinghamshire.

“The rationale for putting them here at Castle House is because it’s possible. We own the land, it is a civic building, and it also sites them at one of the principle gateways into Newark.

“The story about these stones has to be that these important works of art, by one of the towns most famous sculptors, have languished for nearly 40 years. We won’t be able to keep everybody happy, we can’t find a perfect location, but this is a feasible scheme and it fits within our community plan.”

She further stated that because the Castle is a scheduled historic monument and the Market Place is ‘well on its way’ to becoming one, the stones could not be sited there and ‘Historic England would not be very pleased’.

Jack Kellas said: “I think Kiddey’s work is important… but I also think it is important to listen to what residents have said.

“Overwhelmingly they’ve said they don’t want the stones to be located here. It says 40.75% of responses were supportive, but 17.8% of those were against the location as their primary concern, and a further 3.4% were against the location as a secondary concern, so actually only 19.58% of respondents were supportive and not against the location… that’s low, very low.

“It is important when we spend [council money] we spend it on the things that people want us to. What’s more important than that is that when we ask people if they want us to spend it on something and they overwhelmingly say no, that we listen to them and that we don’t do that.”

He also questioned if Newark Town Council may not agree to loan the sculptures after seeing the lack of public support.

In response, council leader Paul Peacock stated his “interpretation is different” and that what was apparent to him from the consultation was that “well over 80% of the people want the stones to be on public view”.

He added: “The two major things were the cost — which people didn’t understand and possibly will never understand — and then the location.

“You’ve just told me nearly 20% of people agree with the location. I’ve been through every comment in [the consultation], maybe ten out of 800 suggested the Castle grounds and maybe a similar number mentioned the Market Place. So actually if 20% of the people are saying they’re happy with them sitting outside castle house, that’s more than any other site within the survey.

“There’s been 13 other locations over the last 40 years considered, I’d say 14, because the 14th is obviously under a tarpaulin in Newark Cemetery and that’s where they’ve been, because the town council have failed in their obligation to place these major pieces of work.”

He further suggested some comments made in the consultation about the cost of the plan reflected ‘almost word for word’ posts made by councillors on social media — but that the £87,000 price tag reflected just 0.16% of the money council will spend in 2024-25.

Mr Peacock also offered further justification for the choice of location, due to its accessibility, existing CCTV and security coverage, proximity to bus stops and a train station, a carpark, and the fact it is ‘a busy area’ with people around during the day and some evenings.

He also stated the council had the support not just of the key stakeholders — Newark Town Council, Newark Civic Trust, and Nottinghamshire Police — but also of Kiddey’s family.

Paul Taylor suggested there had been a ‘massive campaign by a political party’ relating to the survey, and that despite that it was a 60/40 split.

He added that the installation will “without a doubt be seen in the future as value for money”, while Susan Crosby suggested the stones were “too nice not to be in the public eye”.

It was also noted that at the end of the 40 year lease currently planned for the stones, the district council may have to consider the cost of removing them should the town council want them back, but that ‘hopefully that won’t be the case’.

Summing up the debate, Ms Cozens said: “No decisions are easy, and stepping up and taking responsibility for this decision is one that I’m happy to do. I believe fully that these are of great value, I think that they represent the industrial heritage of this region.

“I don’t expect everybody to agree with me, that’s not the point, but I am the portfolio holder for heritage, culture and the arts and there is some proportionality arguments here, officer time costs money, PPIC time costs money, delaying a project like this costs money and it’s not feasible to leave tonnes of sculpture to languish for another 40 years.

“I stand by my portfolio holder decision and I stand by it with integrity.”

The plans, including adding the £87,430 funded by the change management reserve to the capital programme, and the agreement to enter a loan agreement with the town council for the stones, were agreed with six votes for, one against and one abstention.