Ipswich 'Cornhenge' sculpture is taken down

The Plinths sculpture will not be replaced

Giant sculptures installed less than a year ago as part of a £3.6m town centre revamp have been taken down.

The Plinths sculpture, which locals dubbed Cornhenge, was erected in December on the Cornhill in Ipswich.

However, the borough council described them as not coming "up to standard" and said it had not paid for them.

People had criticised the structures and a council spokesman said "public opinion" had been taken on board.

The blocks were removed one by one

A lorry crane lifted up the stone structures, first by their "lids" then the vertical plinths

Work to remove the reconstituted stone structures started on Thursday and is due to be completed by 13 September.

A lorry crane lifted the "lids" off before the rest of the vertical plinths, the council said.

The Plinths were designed to document Ipswich's history, but soon showed signs of rusting.

Work to remove the Plinths "Cornhenge" sculpture is expected to finish on 13 September

Ipswich's footballing heritage was celebrated on one of the structures, with former ITFC and England managers Sir Bobby Robson and Sir Alf Ramsey remembered

An Ipswich Borough Council spokesman previously said "public opinion is that they like the Cornhill but do not like the Plinths".

In June, it was announced the sculpture would be replaced and made from a "more polished stone" after efforts to improve the original failed.

The council said the final decision not to replace the sculpture was taken by Ipswich Vision, a partnership project for the town.

Terry Hunt, of Ipswich Vision, said the information on the Plinths would be "retained somewhere and somehow on the Cornhill, but we don't know how yet".

The sculpture did not meet the council's expected standards

John Stow died after falling from the newly-installed steps on the Cornhill

The Cornhill project was started after Lord Stuart Rose, former chairman of Marks and Spencer, described the town centre space as "shabby".

Safety repairs will get under way after the Plinths have been taken down, the council said.

They follow the death of John Stow, 83, who fell down newly-installed steps near the sculpture in January.