Roundabout artwork proposal is rejected

A proposal to commission a piece of artwork for a roundabout in the middle of a Staffordshire town has been described as "inappropriate" by a town councillor.

Chase Arts for Public Spaces (CHAPS) has approached Rugeley Town Council about commissioning a piece of artwork for the Globe Island, which is where the A51 Horse Fair and A460 Sandy Lane meet in the centre of the town. The public arts group were hoping to get a piece of artwork that would reflect the town's mining heritage.

This has been done in the past for roundabouts in Hednesford and Cannock.

Rugeley town councillor Neil Stanley said there were a variety of other roundabouts where a piece of artwork like this would be welcome but the the Globe Island was not suitable because it is the place where the town council put up the Christmas tree every year.

He said: "One year it was a possibility that we would not be able to afford to put the tree up there.

"The reaction of the public of Rugeley was quite hostile.

"They were certainly disappointed by the prospect of not having a Christmas tree on the Globe Island.

"I was approached by a number of senior citizens at the time when they heard the speculation and they were very forceful.

"Fortunately we managed to get the tree up but if CHAPS put up a piece of artwork and that undermines that location to such an extent that we are unable to put a Christmas tree up because of space, then that would cause more disappointment to the people of Rugeley than if they didn't have a piece of art.

He added while Rugeley has some mining heritage it was also home to various other industries such as its glassmaking.

He said: "It had other industries and other elements of history which perhaps we ought to recognise as well."