Sir John Laing Furness Abbey statue plan stalled

Sir John Laing's descendants wanted to install his statue at Furness Abbey

Plans for a statue of a construction magnate at an abbey have been voted down by councillors.

Barrow Borough Council's planning committee rejected the effigy of Sir John Laing at Furness Abbey with one councillor saying it would have led to a "terracotta army of statues".

Sir John, who died in 1978 aged 98, claimed his prayers at the abbey helped his business succeed.

The application could yet be revived when it goes back to committee in July.

The plan - submitted by Sir John's grandson David Laing - was recommended for approval by planning officers but opposed by councillors, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Hazel Edwards expressed concerns the application could set a precedent and lead to a "terracotta army of statues" at the site of the former monastery.

Sir John Laing prayed at the abbey during troubled times

She said Sir John, who was born in Carlisle, was a "relatively unknown person with only tentative connections to Barrow".

Councillor Colin Thomson, who chaired the meeting, said: "He's done nothing for the town, he wasn't born here."

David Laing said his grandfather, who built Coventry Cathedral, worked in Barrow and "brought work into the area".

The bronze, life-sized sculpture of Sir John, positioned on a wooden bench, would have been situated with its back to the railway line in an area to the north of the main abbey.

"We didn't want it to be obvious or intrusive," Mr Laing said, adding: "It doesn't impact on the visible enjoyment of the abbey itself or the historical context."

The committee felt the proposal did not contribute to the enhancement and historic interest of the area and was out of context with its location.

The application is to be brought before the July planning committee meeting accompanied by further advice from council officers, including draft reasons for refusal, should councillors maintain their opposition to it.