HEAD STATUE DEBATE IS NOT OVER...
■ DERBYSHIRE County Council has stepped into the debate over Ashbourne’s Black’s Head carving, saying there needs to be proper public consultation over its removal and that removing it permanently would need listed planning permission – in line with a new Government policy on historical statues and landmarks
NEW laws to protect England’s cultural and historic heritage must be considered before a controversial wooden carving is officially removed from Ashbourne’s streetscape, Derbyshire County Council has said.
The authority, which is keeping the town’s controversial Black’s Head sculpture under lock and key in its records office, has written to the custodians of the Green Man gallows sign, Derbyshire Dales District Council, to express disappointment over the lack of public consultation over the head’s removal in the summer.
Derbyshire County Council leader Barry Lewis has written to the district council’s leader Garry Purdy, pointing out that removing the head on a permanent basis, as the district council decided to do at a meeting late last year, would need Listed building consent from Historic England.
Mr Lewis also pointed out in his letter, of which the News Telegraph has been given a copy, that the Government’s new policy in regard to historic statues and landmarks has changed this month and any removal or alteration would need planning permission.
The new law means the planning process could also be intercepted by Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he wishes to check the right process is being followed.
The law was introduced following a spate of attacks on monuments that have a questionable historical origin, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in America last June.
Mr Jenrick says historic statues should be “retained and explained” for future generations and individuals who want to remove any historic statue, whether listed or not, will now require Listed building consent or planning permission.
In his letter to Cllr Purdy, Cllr Lewis said he would like to see a proper public consultation over what should happen to the head, which some feel is an offensive racist caricature, and he hopes that will now happen as part of the planning process.
He said: “It was Derbyshire County Council’s understanding that any decision regarding the future of the head, which is being held in our Records Office’s storage unit, was going to be subject to a full public consultation exercise.
“It is disappointing that local residents are not being consulted and involved in the decision on the future of the head prior to any statutory process being enacted.
“Local residents’ comments on the removal of the head, through a listed building consent application process, will only be in light of impacts on the sign’s historic significance, rather than the wider community’s desire, or not, to keep the head in place.
“This is because Derbyshire Dales District Council has already decided to pursue its permanent removal as owner. Notwithstanding this, the head is a notable part of the sign, and was in place at the time of listing, and therefore is likely to contribute the listed structure’s historic significance.
“As you will be aware any work to building or structure on the Secretary of State’s statutory list, that affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, requires Listed building consent.”
Cllr Lewis went onto say that he understood district council bosses intended to apply for listed building consent, which will invoke a consultation process, and pointed out the new historic monument law and how they could ensure the public is involved.
He said: “The need for this public scrutiny has been strengthened by the Secretary of State’s recent announcement to put in to law the requirement that planning permission or Listed building consent to be obtained for the removal of any historic statues, plaques and other monuments, as these processes afford local people the chance to be properly consulted.
“Derbyshire Dales District Council’s decision to pursue removal of the head does not align with the general ethos of ‘retain and explain.’”
The head was removed from its St John Street perch by locals just hours before Derbyshire Dales District Council’s contractors were due to arrive and whisk it away, as it became clear it was a public safety issue. The national mood had become toxic following George Floyd’s death and this had helped to spur a petition which gathered more than 80,000 signatures, calling for its immediate removal.
Many, including some members of Ashbourne Town Council, called for a public consultation to let the town decide whether it should be put back up or not, but the Dales District Council decided, at a meeting in December, that it should never go back on the gallows sign.
Their preference was for it to go on display in a museum or heritage centre, under the care of Ashbourne Town Council, with a plaque alongside it explaining its history – which is still being widely debated. Some believe the head is a Jamaican servant boy who visited the town, while others believe it is a Saracen’s Head, inspired by the De Ferrers family crest. Other theories suggest it could depict a Turkish coffee merchant.
The Government’s new protection for historic assets, aims to safeguard 20,000 statues and monuments throughout England for future generations.
The legal changes come in the tradition of previous landmark heritage protection laws such as the Civic Amenities Act 1967 and the Town and Country Planning Act 1947.
Mr Jenrick said: “For hundreds of years, public statues and monuments have been erected across the country to celebrate individuals and great moments in British history. They reflected the people’s preferences at the time, not a single, official narrative or doctrine. They are hugely varied, some loved, some reviled, but all part of the weft and weave of our uniquely rich history and built environment.
“We cannot – and should not – now try to edit or censor our past. That’s why I am changing the law to protect historic monuments and ensure we don’t repeat the errors of previous generations, losing our inheritance of the past without proper care.
“What has stood for generations should be considered thoughtfully, not removed on a whim, any removal should require planning permission and local people should have the chance to be properly consulted.
“Our policy in law will be clear, that we believe in explaining and retaining heritage, not tearing it down.”
The need for this scrutiny has been strengthened with the minister’s statement
Cllr Barry Lewis