A BUNGLING council has been slammed as an embarrassment for spending almost £40,000 on building a giant rock “sculpture”.
Nottinghamshire residents helped foot the hefty bill for the construction of The Scrooby Rock, a memorial to the Mayflower Pilgrims.
GettyThe rock commemorates the journey of the Pilgrim Fathers to the New World from England in 1620[/caption]
The project was officially unveiled in September 2024, with Conservative-run Nottinghamshire County Council providing a £37,400 grant to help fund the £60,000 art installation.
However, many have criticised the project and accused the authority of hypocrisy, including multiple leading county councillors.
Former Council Leader Ben Bradley raised concerns in 2024 over Newark and Sherwood District Council’s £81,240 bill for sculptures.
It had chosen to place the Kiddey Stones, a set of historic sculptures that had been kept under cover in a cemetery for decades, outside its new headquarters.
The district council’s scheme was branded “disappointing” by Councillor Bradley at the time, who added: “We all know local government is under huge financial pressure, with more people coming through the door in need of support.
“It’s important we encourage partners to focus on that, rather than nice shiny things we’d all like to spend money on.”
The county council’s £40,000 spend on The Scrooby Rock was raised at a County Hall meeting on January 23 when independent councillor Francis Purdue-Horan said: “When Newark revealed plans last year to spend £80,000, moving sculptures by famous Nottinghamshire son Robert Kiddey, it was branded ‘really disappointing’ and a ‘waste of money’ by senior members of this county council.
“Is there a limit on how much you think this council should spend on sculptures and do you feel this opens you up to allegations of hypocrisy?”
Nottinghamshire County Council’s Deputy Leader Bruce Laughton denied a limit and highlighted that the decision had been made by the previous administration.
Purdue-Horan questioned the how the county council could approve the spending of £40,000 of taxpayers money near the Yorkshire border for sculptures but then also criticise Newark and Sherwood District Council’s sculpture plans.
He also decried “personal attacks” on councillors in Newark by the county council and called the actions as “embarrassing” for Tories in Nottinghamshire.
The Scrooby Rock memorial commemorates Pilgrims who travelled on the Mayflower’s voyage from England to the New World in 1620, laying down the foundations of the modern United States.
Many of the leading Pilgrim Fathers came from the village of Scrooby, which lies near Doncaster on the border between Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire.
It is thought that 25 million Americans descended from the 102 passengers of the Mayflower.
‘BOOST IN TOURISM AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY’
In a joint response, Newark’s county councillors Sue Saddington, Sam Smith, Bruce Laughton, Keith Girling and Johno Lee highlighted the “stark” difference between the two referenced projects.
They said the county council’s £37,400 contribution to the £60,000 sculpture project in Scrooby would help tourism and the local economy.
The councillors said that the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the historic pilgrim voyage was vastly different to the moving of stones to Newark and Sherwood Council’s headquarters.
They continued: “In 1620, the Mayflower ship sailed from the UK to the United States.
“Onboard were Mayflower Pilgrims, who helped lay the foundations of the US.
“25 million Americans are thought to have descended from the 102 passengers – with many of the leading figures of the group from Scrooby in north Nottinghamshire.”
The councillors added: “That is what the county council funding has contributed to – a sculpture that is in the heart of Scrooby village, is seen by passers-by daily and is attracting tourists to Nottinghamshire from the USA and beyond – contributing to a boost in tourism and the local economy.”
Locals slam ‘devastating’ new council plan that will see drivers pay more for parking – pointing out key flaw
South Hams District Council in Devon is consulting its residents on whether to increase parking charges in order to help fund other services.
However, instead of raising fees for all parking users, the plans would only target non-residents, charging them twice as much as locals.
If the proposal is successful, it would make the authority one of the first in England to introduce a two-tier parking fee policy.
South Hams District Council Leader Julian Brazil told the BBC that extra money is needed to pay for waste collection, to keep leisure centres open, and to look after the beaches and streets.
Local traders have hit back – pointing out that the plans are likely to put off visitors whose custom is essential to keeping the local economy going.
Sue Hawkins, who owns Nature’s Larder in Ivybridge, slammed the plans as “short-sighted” and “devastating”, saying they showed “ignorance of how the town works as a community”.
South Hams District Council has said that every local household would be able to register up to two cars in order to be able to park at the local rate.
However, any other vehicle in the household would have to pay a visitor rate.
nottinghamshire.govNottinghamshire County Council’s decision to give a £40,000 grant for the art installation has been slammed as hypocritical[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
