A PLANNING application has been submitted for the installation of a new statue in the Guildhall Square.

The sculpture, which will be 4.2 metres high, is made out of seven different of sections of granite, and will be called 'Turning Point', with a running twist.

It has been designed and gifted to the city by British sculptor John Maine, and is proposed as part of the 800th anniversary of the founding of Salisbury Cathedral.

In the supporting documents for the planning application on the Wiltshire Council website, John says: "I am proposing a new sculpture for the Market Square, intended as a ‘marker of confidence’, contributing to a sense of optimism in the future of Salisbury.

"This sculpture grows out of my sequence of vertical works, which began with the ten metre ‘Strata’ for the new town of Ryugasaki in Japan.

"Subsequently I have developed several forms of spires with a sense of rising movement.

"I see these as aspirational works and feel that this slender version ‘Turning Point’ is a further step forward."

Salisbury Journal:

The work follows on from John's exhibition in the Cathedral and throughout the Close and Sarum College in 2014.

Comments have already been made from members of the public on the online application about the sculpture.

Louise Walters, from Amesbury, said: "The proposed statue is boring, plain and a waste of money, the location isn't great either.

"To invigorate Salisbury you need a bold, interactive and accessible idea (and it would be better to spend longer planning it so it has the desired effect).

"Please consider this carefully. I realise people don't want to be rude to proposers and artists but it's bad business when there is an opportunity to make a real difference and not cover over issues

in the region with half cocked solutions."

Linda Canning, from Salisbury, said: "This is a striking contemporary sculpture which is an excellent way to mark the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Cathedral, and city of Salisbury.

"[It] will be a great enhancement to the Guildhall Square."

To see the application in full or to comment on the plans, go to https://bit.ly/36d0kSi.