Northumberland campaigners rally for new battle against Elizabeth Landmark plans

As reported last week, a second bid for the 180-foot Elizabeth Landmark has been lodged, following its rejection at last July’s meeting of Northumberland County Council’s strategic planning committee.

The application, for the 56-metre steel Ascendant sculpture on the summit of Cold Law, west of Kirkwhelpington, had been recommended for approval by planning officers.

But following a site visit, a majority of councillors felt it was an inappropriate location for a structure of this kind.

Upon its refusal, the team behind the landmark – which it describes as “a valuable asset to local communities and the North East” – immediately said that it would be appealing the decision and this was registered with the Planning Inspectorate in January.

Anne Palmer, a founding member of Keep the Wannies Wild, said: “Many members objected to the appeal. The group itself, supported by a member who is a former planning inspector, submitted a detailed rebuttal to the Planning Inspectorate.

“The phrase – the wilds of Wanney – is voiced widely throughout the North East to suggest somewhere mysterious and remote. Every one of our members has a personal reason for wanting to keep the Wannies wild.”

The appeal is ongoing, but the resubmitted application includes an economic impact assessment and a visitor strategy plus “a more comprehensive” design and access statement and statement of community engagement.

The latter, a 33-page document, concludes: ‘The activities outlined herein have demonstrated a wide range of support for the scheme from within Northumberland, the wider North East region, other parts of the UK and abroad.’

Referring to the fact that the design, by Simon Hitchens, was selected from a choice of three by the public in August 2018, as well as public events, questionnaires and online petitions, it adds: ‘There is, therefore, demonstrable support for the scheme and its potential benefits from both within Northumberland and the wider North East region.’

The economic report concludes that the Elizabeth Landmark “has the potential to generate an additional £1.43million in gross value added over a 10-year period and sustain a maximum of 8.12 full-time-equivalent jobs each year”.

However, Ms Palmer said: “Keep the Wannies Wild has reviewed the new application and considers it substantially the same as the original application which has already been rejected.”

She explained that the group, which has almost 2,000 members on Facebook, has “conducted a detailed analysis” of the new documents, but they “contain questionable data, easily challenged assumptions and make inappropriate comparisons with other artworks such as the Angel of the North”.

“In particular, they do not address the reason for refusal of the first application which was the harm to landscape character,” she added. “We are determined to protect the Wannies, our shared landscape, from the proposal. We are confident that we will defeat this new application as we did the first.”

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