Celtic cross shortlisted for funds
PROPOSALS for a massive Celtic cross and the opening up of neglected woodland near the Tamar Bridge have been officially put forward.
The proposal for the 66ft tall cross at the Gateway to Cornwall has inspired controversy, with some local residents saying they are "strongly opposed" to the plans.
The cross is intended to be the Cornish equivalent to Antony Gormley's Angel of the North in Gateshead, but protesters say money would be better spent on providing footpaths through the Elwell Wood, next to the Tamar Bridge in Saltash.
Under the plans, Elwell Woods, neglected woodland alongside the Tamar Bridge which has been closed to the public for more than 40 years, would be transformed into a public resource, with the cross, designed by Simon Thomas, as its centrepiece.
Local sculptor Mr Thomas, whose design was selected as the winner from more than 80 entries, was at Friday's event at Saltash Guildhall, along with Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project, and Cornwall Council's chief executive Kevin Lavery who pledged their support and toured the site.
The Saltash scheme is one of three projects in the South West to be shortlisted for a national Flagship award of up to £450,000 from the Lottery Community Spaces programme.
The principal aims of the project, if the grant is approved, are to open up the woods with basic public facilities and provide an enhanced environment for wildlife.
The area is also the intended site for the 20-metre high modern New Celtic Cross, which would be visible to visitors to Cornwall as they cross the Tamar Bridge.
Project leader Joe Ellison said: "We were absolutely delighted that Tim Smit and Kevin Lavery came out and supported it. The cross has caused quite a lot of controversy over the last fortnight, so for them to support it was fantastic.
"The project has been a long time in gestation, we've been talking about it for well over a year. Having got past the first stage of the Lottery Flagship award, we're now at stage two, which will go before the national panel in January."
He said the project is up against two others in the South West, based in Exeter and Torbay, for the grant. Mr Ellison said: "At the moment, it looks like we've got a one in three chance of getting it.
"The cross is a statement of a kind of vision – what we see it doing for Cornwall is what the Angel of the North did for the North East.
"That met with a lot of opposition as well but I think it's genuinely accepted as a masterpiece – I think the same thing will come to pass here."
9 Comments
by Crosses and Poppies, Green and Sceptred Isle
Thursday, November 05 2009, 10:37PM
“Put it in the middle of Carkeel Roundabout and make it a 60ft statue of Olaf Schimd, a 21st century Cornish hero.
Boris Johnson has his statue of Sir Keith Park on the 4th plinth in London.
Let's not forget Olaf Schmid, and all those that have been killed and maimed in Afghanistan.”
by alan, saltash
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 10:40AM
“Fantastic,the cross has great artistic merit in my opinion and it'll be great for saltash.Ignore the small minded and mean spirited moaners.They would have objected to statue of the Christ in Rio,the Eiffel tower in Paris to name a couple”
by Don, Saltash
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 7:13AM
“Fore Street isn't so bad and is surviving the recession well with relatively few empty shops.
Anyway this money can only be spent on the woods.
I am for that and the Cross.”
by Sharon, Saltash
Monday, November 02 2009, 9:55PM
“the site by the slip road to the bridge is much better than the one in Elwell Woods. i like that.
In terms of how money should be spent, this is lottery funding that could only ever be used on this project and nowhere else in Saltash.”
by Dan, Saltash
Monday, November 02 2009, 8:20PM
“I am against this plan. Elwell Woods is a small site and to put this concrete monstrosity there would involve felling most of the trees. At the moment those trees help to reduce the noise pollution for residents in Elwell Lane, Tavy Road ,Biscombe Gardens and Lockyer Terrace.
If people want a huge statue like this then put it on Carkeel roundabout then it would really stand out.
Oh, and build it out of Cornish granite.”
by The Gaffer, Saltash
Monday, November 02 2009, 7:49PM
“I would not say that most people want this. There are a very large number who do not want it.
They would prefer to see some improvement to the very derelict state of the main street (Fore St) in Saltash.”
by Jim, Saltash Waterside Resident
Monday, November 02 2009, 10:11AM
“Most people are for this. Just a few doubters who don't really understand the community benfits of the project.
Don;t let a very few spoil things for the majority.
Those against should think hard about that..”
by Peter Clements, Saltash
Monday, November 02 2009, 9:50AM
“But what a wonderful site this would be for upmarket houses or flats. If the bid fails and this site is not protected in some way I can see an up-market housing development there.
One thing is for certain Elwell Woods will not remain as it is now.”
by Chris, Ford
Monday, November 02 2009, 9:34AM
“Excellent news. What on earth is the matter with the moaners in Saltash? Personally, I think it's an excellent and imaginative idea. Such a shame that the whining NIMBYs have come out of the woodwork again.”