Cost of city’s waterfront statue revealed to be a cool £764,000
THE total cost of the Look II statue on the waterfront at Plymouth has appeared in a city council document at more than three-quarters of a million pounds.
The entry, describing a ‘Mayflower 400 Monument’ at a cost £764,038, was highlighted by Conservative councillors who criticised spending under the city council’s Labour administration at an online public meeting to set next year’s budget and council tax.
City council Labour leader Tudor Evans said the budget for Mayflower 400, including the statue, was agreed with cross-party support, and the opening of The Box museum and unveiling of Look II had resulted in huge publicity for the city.
The 12ft cast-iron statue by Sir Antony Gormley was installed at West Hoe last year as part of the opening of The Box, the redeveloped museum and heritage centre on North Hill.
Tory councillors described the statue as a waste of money and a white elephant, which critics had named ‘Rusty Reg’.
The city council has refused to say how much it paid for the artwork as it is covered by a confidentiality agreement with the sculptor. But it put a figure of £425,000 on the installation costs, including strengthening and repairs to the listed West Hoe Pier where the statue stands.
The council has now confirmed that the £764,038 item listed in a budget document was for Look II and ‘all the associated works’. Taking away the installation sum, that indicates the cost of the artwork alone was around £339,000.
Supporters say the sculpture is a major cultural attraction by a worldrenowned artist which has brought global attention to the city. The total of almost £5million capital spending on the Mayflower programme was given cross-party support and was largely funded by grants from outside bodies.
The item listed in the council’s five-year capital programme was questioned by Tory group leader Nick Kelly at the meeting, then Cllr Mark Deacon criticised the spending on Look II.
Cllr Deacon said the statue was in the wrong place, and added: “Is it really bringing value for money, since it cost three-quarters of a million pounds to install?”
The councillor said: “For me Rusty Reg stands as a testament to folly, brought about by this incompetent administration.”
Cllr Patrick Nicholson, deputy leader of the Conservative opposition, said the statue was a ‘disgraceful waste of public money’ during the pandemic, describing it as a ‘rusty wreck’.
Cllr Nicholson said the council’s Labour leadership had not defended the decision to buy the artwork and had “hidden the cost.”
‘Rusty Reg stands as a testament to folly by this incompetent administration’ CLLR MARK DEACON