Steelworks sculpture 'will have more detail' after Dairy Milk comparison
A council has reassured residents that a planned monument to the former Round Oak Steelworks will have much more detail in the final design.
Dudley Council shared images of the planned sculpture, worth £40,000, which will be situated between John Street and Dudley Road in Brierley Hill.
The images were widely mocked online, with many comparing it with the Dairy Milk logo, and some even branding it an insult.
The steelworks, built on more than 100 acres of land, was a major employer in the town for nearly 130 years between 1857 and 1982.
Most people appear to be supportive of building a monument which was approved by Dudley Council last month, but not the design.
Council chiefs hope to unveil it later this year to mark the 40th anniversary of the steel works closing.
Helen Martin, Dudley Council's director of regeneration and enterprise, said: "The sculpture which will celebrate Round Oak Steelworks and pay tribute to the area’s industrial heritage and the people that worked there will cost £40,000.
"It will be paid for by the Community Infrastructure Levy, a levy charged on new developments which the authority can then use to support local infrastructure, without any cost to the council tax payer.
"It will be sited on the grass verge between John Street and Dudley Road.
"The original planning drawings are purely diagrammatic, the finished monument will have a much more detailed, industrial look and feel."
Another image has been shared, which shows the sketch plans for the monument, with considerably more detail that originally thought.
Responses to the initial design were critical with Sandra Collins agreeing a monument would be a a lovely thing, but the design is an insult.
Maureen Bayliss added: "I thought it was a steel works not a branch of Cadbury’s. Total waste of money."
The 14-ft-high monument has been designed by Dudley borough artist Steve Field and will take the form of a ladle suspended in the air pouring molten metal.
Planning documents state the proposed monument would "enhance the character of the area and increase the use and purpose of the existing area of informal open space for public benefit."
Balvinder Heran, Dudley Council's deputy chief executive, said: "The Round Oak Steelworks are an important part of Brierley Hill’s history, having employed so many in the town over such a long period of time.
"This impressive monument will be eye-catching and ensure the role the business played in people’s lives is never forgotten, and I welcome the decision to grant planning permission."
