Choose three local heroes to stand around a Plymouth bench

THREE life-size metal cutouts of local heroes will appear around a bench to celebrate the city's history and culture.

City residents can vote on which of the heroes they would like to see depicted on the new piece of art being installed in North Cross.

The 'portrait bench' will be unique to the city and will feature a simple seat surrounded by three two-dimensional characters cut from a steel sheet chosen by the local community.

The bench will be sited in the central open area of North Cross, where the four underpasses meet, as part of a makeover to the walking and cycling facilities there.

This is a well-used route for pedestrians and cyclists with a daily footfall of more than 7,000, including those travelling to and from the nearby Plymouth train station.

A shortlist of 13 nominees has been drawn up for the Plymouth portrait bench following consultation with community groups, local residents through neighbourhood meetings, cycle user groups, councillors and other stakeholders.

The shortlisted 13 nominees are:

Sir Joshua Reynolds – artist and founding President of the Royal Academy in London.

Robert Lenkiewicz – one of the South West's most celebrated artists of modern time

Beryl Cooke – artist of distinctive, humorous paintings full of flamboyant characters

Lady Astor – Plymouth's 'first lady' of politics, voted MP for Sutton in 1919

Scott of the Antarctic – Royal Navy officer and Antarctic explorer

Dawn French – actress, writer and comedienne

William Miller – first black councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor of Plymouth

Tom Daley – 2009 World Diving Champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – physician and writer of Sherlock Holmes stories

William Cookworthy – Britain's first porcelain producer

Charles Darwin – naturalist and founder of the theory of evolution

Pocahontas – native American princess who arrived in Plymouth as the wife of Englishman John Rolfe

Plymouth servicemen and women – in recognition of those who have overcome horrific injuries to become an inspiration to others

'The Portrait Bench' is part of a national Sustrans project funded by The Big Lottery Fund.

Communities across the UK are nominating local people to become the figures on their local portrait benches.

When complete there will be a national collection of over 230 portraits.

The North Cross facilities as a whole are to be upgraded and proposed improvements include planting new trees, installing better lighting, replacing benches, reducing clutter by removing guardrails and repairing or replacing broken paving slabs.

Plymouth Transport and Highways, the partnership between Plymouth City Council and Amey, will be working with the council's street scene services to get this work under way in spring 2013.

The project supports a wider initiative to introduce new walking and cycling links to connect the east and west of the city from Devonport and Stonehouse through to Plympton and Plymstock.

The route will use off-road links and quiet roads and is being funded by the Department for Transport, The Big Lottery Fund, Plymouth City Council and Sustrans.

To vote for your three favourite local heroes, email plymotion@plymouth.gov.uk or send it to: Portrait bench vote, Transport and Infrastructure, Floor 10, Plymouth City Council, Civic Centre, Plymouth, PL1 2AA.

A consultation event is planned for Friday October 19 when users of the North Cross central area will have the opportunity to view the plans for the area and cast their votes. Voting closes on Friday November 30 and the three Plymouth personalities with the most votes will be incorporated into the portrait bench.

You can also vote on the poll on this page for your favourite option - and that vote will be forwarded to plymotion to help shape the final decision.

WHICH OTHER LOCAL HEROES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE RECOGNISED? ADD YOUR SUGGESTION AS A COMMENT BELOW