Questions from Councillors

Question received from Councillor D Saliagopoulos

Five Swimmers Statue by David Wynn

 Whilst it is appreciated that the decision to give this Statue to a local Developer has already been made.  Its route was through Committee and there we go.  Staines Town elected Councillors seem happy to hand it over without an arguement and without consulting the residents of Staines.

I was recently invited to its "unveiling" by the Managing Director of the Developer - at their multi storey new high rise building which I declined.  He wrote to me to say that "the people will be able to use this as a public space".  Really?  So that means people can go around the proposed quadrant freely whenever they want  and it’s a walk from the High Street?  I wonder if the new residents of these high rise flats will be aware of this?  According to a specialist website I have seen, the Statue was sold in July 2024?  Can the people of Staines be assured that this is NOT the case?  The Statue is very valuable and should be insured for some £400,000 or so.  Can this Council be assured that as and when it is decided, by this Council on behalf of the people of this borough, the Statue will be placed back in a public space where it belongs.  Might I also say that had you asked the residents they may well have come up with a better idea than this.  £90 thousand pounds to relocate and embed the Statue?  I am sure we would have plenty of ideas where this sort of saving could be made, in order to pay for the Statute ourselves.  

It's unknown that a public piece of Art has been gifted to a contentious developer within the confines of its Town.  

Again, may the people of Staines be assured that they can reclaim the Statue when a suitable site has been identified?