130ft Iron man is gift to Chester

Feb 13 2009 Chester Chronicle

130ft Iron man is gift to Chester

THIS iron giant could become the iconic image of Chester.

Ed Walley, owner of the Crocky Trail, Waverton, and creator of the huge structure, has decided he will have to give up his dream of erecting the 130ft high, 30 tonne sculpture on the Trail.

He was refused planning permission for the sculpture in January and, despite vowing to appeal the decision, was told by landowner The Duke of Westminster to remove it from his premises.

The iron giant has been a labour of love for the eccentric former Chester city councillor.

Instead of scrapping his metal goliath, Ed wants to gift it to the city of Chester, bar transport costs, to coincide with Chester’s city of giants festival, scheduled for June.

He said: “Since the iron man got refused planning permission by the city council, we offered it to sell to other cities. The response has been encouraging – there is a lot of interest in public works of art.

“This is shown by the White Stallion in Kent and of course the Angel of the North. Similar projects have been valued at £1.5m. We still hope to find a site for it in Chester where it should become an iconic image for the city. If we find some sponsors, it should not be of any cost to the taxpayer.”

“I would personally like to see it somewhere like the Groves.”

Chief executive of Chester City Centre Management, David Pickering, who is in talks with Mr Walley, said: “I am all for the iron giant going up in Chester. I think it could be Chester’s Angel of the North. I think we could get it up for £30,000 to £40, 000 and it would be an iconic image of Chester. It ties in perfectly with Chester’s city of giants.

“We would like to put it at a gateway into the city, by a motorway or on the ring road somewhere. We want to show people we can do something fun and exciting – and quickly – in these times of gloom. I think we could get it up for June.”

A spokeswoman for The Grosvenor Estate, Jane Sanders, said: “We fully support the council's decision to refuse planning on the Waverton site; we regard a structure of this size as inappropriate in a rural setting as it would have a dramatic visual impact over the Cheshire Plain.

“However, if a site could be found in a more appropriate place and with the support of the council and local residents, we are of the opinion that it may make an interesting contribution to the already fine collection of public art enjoyed by Chester."