Sculpture’s future is set to be decided
THE future of the controversial Black’s Head sculpture could finally be decided on Monday, after a district council meeting was rescheduled.
Derbyshire Dales District Councillors did meet to discuss a review of the authority’s assets, including Ashbourne’s wooden carving, on Thursday, November 26 – but the meeting was aborted after three and-a-half hours with the Black’s Head item still a long way off.
Councillors voted to defer the item, which was No20 on the agenda, after reaching a time limit by item 13.
The remaining agenda items, including the asset review, have now been scheduled to be looked into at an extraordinary meeting on Monday, December 14, during a virtual meeting at 6pm.
It will be broadcast on Youtube and members of the public are invited to speak ahead of the agenda topics by joining the Zoom session, with requests invited ahead of noon on Monday.
At last month’s virtual meeting, two members of the public spoke on the topic of the wooden sculpture, which had been branded “racist” in the summer and subsequently removed by locals.
Town Councillor Denise Brown spelled out the town council’s position on the head, which is being stored by its owners, Derbyshire Dales District Council.
She said the town council wanted to “positively engage” e” with the district council over r the possibility of taking over ow ownership of the sign.
A At a meeting last month As Ashbourne Town Councillors ag agreed they would like to b become the new custodians of the sign and the head, but they would want the district council to help pay for the costs of its renovation, and th the cost of a consultation. A Ashbourne Town Council ult ultimately wants to put the de decision over the future of the car carving – whether it is put in am a museum, or put back up on the sign, to the people of the town.
Derbyshire Dales District Councillors should now finally discuss a report by the council’s director of regulatory services Tim Braund, recommending the members consider a range of options, which he boils down into five options.
The district councillors will eventually choose to do one of the following:
Option A – the district council accepts the request from Ashbourne Town Council and transfers the freehold interest of the Black’s Head and gallows sign to the town council, for them to determine its future.
Option B – the district council undertakes a public consultation on the future of the Black’s Head and gallows sign.
Option C – the Black’s Head be retained in the ownership of the district council, be subject to appropriate conservation and stored in the County Archives.
Option D – the Black’s Head be retained in the ownership of the district council, be subject to appropriate conservation and forwarded to Ashbourne Town Council for storage.
Option E – any alternative option that the council considers appropriate.
During her address to Derbyshire Dales District Council, town councillor Denise Brown conveyed the town council’s preference that the district council chooses to explore option E.
Monday’s virtual meeting is due to take place from 6.30pm and the Black’s Head is item No.9 on the agenda.
Five options to be put forward as additional council meeting to convene on Monday