Island's giant harbourside heron sculpture approved

The project was funded by a grant from the Manx Lottery Trust to the Creative Network

Plans to install a sculpture of a giant heron at a harbour on the Isle of Man have been approved.

The 26-foot (8m) steel structure is due to be situated on an existing plinth next to the road bridge over Castletown Harbour.

Funded by the Manx Lottery Trust to become part of the island's Silverburn Art Trail, The Great Heron was created by Darren Jackson and Stephanie Quayle to reflect the wildlife found along the riverbank.

A report to the planning committee said while opinions on the artwork varied, the proposals by Castletown Commissioners met planning rules and recommended the application be approved.

The artwork will sit on a concrete block that was part of a former swing bridge over the harbour

Subject to any appeals, the artwork is now set to be the first piece in a trail commissioned by the Creative Network that will run along the river from Castletown Harbour to Silverdale Glen, with ideas for other artworks still under development.

A grant of £25,000 was awarded to the network to help fund six sculptures along the the trail.

The report by a planning officer said the application was acceptable in terms of its visual impact on the streetscape, the surrounding conservation area and the setting of nearby Castle Rushen.

They wrote the infrastructure department had not opposed the plans as they did not hamper visibility, and a structural report had shown it could withstand strong winds so it would not fall on to the road or into the harbour.

It would not obstruct harbour use as it was on an existing concrete structure and posed no flood risk, the committee was told.

The report added it was “considered to promote public art and is a sculpture that is reflective of local wildlife found in such waterside environments”.

Approving the plans earlier, the committee noted the sculpture would be looked after by the local authority.