Naked Yoxman illumination off Suffolk A12 'hazardous' - council

The statue stands in the middle of a field just west of the A12 in Yoxford

Lighting up a statue of a naked giant near a major road in Suffolk could be "potentially hazardous" for passing traffic, a parish council said.

The 26ft (7.9m) bronze Yoxman was installed next to the A12 at Cockfield Hall, in Yoxford, in November 2021.

Plans for his night-time illumination were lodged with East Suffolk Council.

However, as Suffolk Live first reported, Yoxford Parish Council objected to it on danger to traffic and nuisance to residents grounds.

When it was installed, sculptor Laurence Edwards described the Yoxman as "a Green Man for our age".

"[He is] a lightning rod for loads of issues about ecology and what we are doing to this planet," he said.

The Yoxman statue (pictured with its creator Laurence Edwards) stands 26ft (7.9m) tall

Plans for the "installation of floodlights to allow for the lighting of the 'Yoxman' statue" were submitted in May on behalf of Wilderness Reserve Suffolk Ltd.

The application states that the three lights "would be installed within the ground to the south of the statue" and would be focused on the statue itself.

"The lighting would be controlled by a solar tracking timeclock, being switched on at dusk and off at a pre-set time, tracking and adjusting the light levels... to maintain a constant light level. The lighting... is sympathetic to the natural environment in which it is located."

During a meeting of the parish council on 1 June, members voted unanimously to object to the proposal on the grounds that "lighting may cause a potentially hazardous distraction for passing traffic".

They also said "no consideration or plans were evident for wildlife or biodiversity" and that "any lighting may cause a nuisance for residents living close or opposite to the statue and light pollution is something that the council felt was necessary to discourage in order to preserve the value of natural darkness of the sky".

A member of the public who also registered an objection said the Yoxman "already presents a hazard to traffic in the day... making it a nocturnal spectacle will only contribute to this danger".

The BBC has asked the agent for the applicant for a comment.

A decision on the application is expected to be made by East Suffolk Council on 20 July.

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