North East Lincolnshire Council spent over £38,000 on plans to install a controversial White Palm sculpture on Cleethorpes Promenade, despite the proposal never actually coming to fruition, it has been confirmed.
In 2018, CoastNEL was granted £750,000 by the Coastal Communities Fund to spend on public art along the North Prom. Acting on their behalf, North East Lincolnshire Council used the funds implement a range of projects in the area, including more than £38,000 which went towards artist fees and consulting with local businesses, residents and tourists on plans for the White Palm artwork. The design proved controversial, with a significant number of locals opposing the plans and attached costs. Some time later, despite the hefty cost that had already been accrued, the plans were axed. As a result there is nothing but a series of paving slabs leading to the non-existent statue to show for the £38,000 price tag.
Speaking to Gi Grimsby News back in February 2022, North East Lincolnshire Council stated that the cost and decision to axe the project had been attributed to ‘COVID delays’ and rising ‘material prices’.
They said: “If the project went through to delivery, the final cost expected would have increased by nearly £170K overall due to a number of factors, including COVID delays and escalating costs of materials. This additional cost would have to have been met from Council funds rather than previously earmarked grant monies.”
Other initiatives which were completed using the grant include the Shutter Art project, the construction of ‘fitness furniture’ and the Luminations installation.
In their latest statement the authority explained their position and spending regarding the White Palm. They said: “The overall budget for all the public art on the North Prom was £750,000. This covered the Shutter Art project and the fitness furniture that has already been installed, the Luminations, and the initial work on the White Palm. Just over £38K was spent on the White Palm which included the artist fees, consultation work with local businesses, residents and tourists in the early stages of the design and the progression of the design through the planning stages.”
When asked whether the paving markers installed to accompany the white palm would be removed, a spokesperson for North East Lincolnshire said people have been using them for running exercises, claiming that are “doing their intended job”.
They said: “The paving markers were put in as part of the overall enhancement of the North Prom, and were originally indeed to provide distance markers to the White Palm. However, we’ve seen that people are using them to time themselves for sprints and longer runs, which was the secondary purpose of the markers. We’ve considered taking them up, but they are doing their intended job, and have decided to leave them in rather than waste money unnecessarily.”
