Today marks three years since South Kesteven District Council approved plans to erect a £300,000 Margaret Thatcher statue in the centre of town.
The decision on February 5, 2019, took place amidst a storm of controversy, with many deriding the proposals to honour the Iron Lady, and there were fears political vandals and other security risks would damage the structure. The statue had originally been planned to be erected in Parliament Square but was eventually rejected due to similar concerns.
Since then, despite the building of a plinth to start the development (thereby eliminating hopes it might hit the three-year time limit to begin) there has been little movement.
The council first took a year-and-a-half to agree to put aside £100,000 for an unveiling event in case fundraising did not succeed, three months later it – unlike Mrs Thatcher – U-turned following backlash with leaders, leaving it to private donors to pick up the tab.
At this time, the COVID-19 pandemic had just begun and it seemed plans were again put on hold as government restrictions took effect, leaving the unveiling dates postponed and councils focussing on promoting their community’s health and safety, and supporting businesses and residents through a series of lockdowns.
But SKDC Council Leader Councillor Kelham Cooke is “extremely confident” things will progress soon.
Speaking to Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) Daniel Jaines, Councillor Cooke said: “The statue will be being installed this year.
“I’m not going to give a date yet, there will be one announced shortly and there will be a date for the installation and then a date for the official unveiling.
“It was disappointing we had to postpone it due to COVID but we remain extremely confident that it will be in place later this year.”
South Kesteven District Council leader Councillor Kelham Cooke.
He acknowledged there had been “fairly mixed responses” but said that had “not changed the plans”.
“Statues are there to create opinion and create conversation, so some people will talk about the merits of Thatcherism and some will talk about other views in terms of what Margaret Thatcher achieved.
“Ultimately, she was the first female Prime Minister and she was born and brought up in Grantham so we need to recognise her locally for her achievements.”
During the BLM riots in 2020 a statue to Bristol merchant Edward Colston – who donated much of his wealth to good causes, but made that wealth through the slave trade – was pulled down by protestors and thrown in the river.
The move sparked a conversation over whether there should be statues to honour people, who should be paid tribute to, and how that should happen, alongside the value for money of such commemorations if they were going to be damaged.
Councillor Cooke told the LDR service: “As a country we need to acknowledge our past, learn from it and move forwards.
“The destruction of statues, actually, for me we need to recognise our history and learn from it.”
Sculptor Douglas Jennings applying the finishing touches to the stature when it was created.
Thatcher’s own history was also a spotted one. Born and raised Margaret Roberts in Grantham, she attended Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, before gaining a scholarship to study at Oxford University.
Her father Alfred, a grocer, was mayor of the town from 1945 to 1946. She was Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990 and entered the House of Lords in 1992.
She died on April 8, 2013, following a stroke.
A 10 foot plinth on which the bronze statue will stand to deter vandals has stood empty. | Photo: Daniel Jaines for The Lincolnite
To her supporters, Thatcher was a patriot who showed strong leadership in the Falklands War, reduced the influence of trade unions, scaled back public benefits and reduced regulation.
However, her detractors are keen to point out thousands suffered under many of her policies including the closure of the coal mining trade, the social unrest over the poll tax, her hesitance to act over the AIDS crisis and the introduction of Section 28 – the series of laws that prohibited “promotion” of homosexuality.
Staunch Grantham Conservative Councillor Ray Wootten praised the PM for holding her three consecutive terms from 1979 to 1990.
“Her landslide victory in 1983, owed partly to her leadership in the Falklands War, resulted in her being dubbed the ‘Iron Lady” by the Soviet Union for the way she dealt with difficult policies,” he said.
Councillor Ray Wootten.
“Even today Margaret Thatcher remains a controversial figure following her political victory against Arthur Scargill in the 1984 Miners’ Strike.
“History views her years in office favourably which is why in her hometown of Grantham she should be recognised with a statue.”
Liberal Democrat Councillor Amanda Wheeler emphasised the rejection by Westminster Council to erect the statue in London on grounds it would attract civil disobedience and vandalism.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Amanda Wheeler.
Other effigies to the Iron Lady have suffered at the hands of her opponents. In 2002 a statue in London Guildhall was decapitated, while in 1980 a waxwork on display in Dublin was stabbed and slashed across the face.
“That SKDC plan to place the statue in the heart of Grantham is an an insult to everyone who suffered under Thatcher’s policies; it is also certain to cost the council a considerable sum in security,” said Councillor Wheeler.
“If Grantham has to have this divisive statue, it should be safely hidden away, under lock and key, in the Grantham Museum. “
Labour Councillor Charmaine Morgan.
Labour Councillor Charmaine Morgan has been a constant outspoken critic of the plans. She said the unveiling would be a “high profile costly affair”.
Despite the funding being cancelled, she said: “The event will no doubt be opportunistically used as a rallying cry for their supporters as we approach local elections.
“We know how much Conservatives like to party! It has already cost tax payers money including new CCTV being installed and trees cut for security purposes.
“Whilst some await it, others of us will be delighted if it is delayed indefinitely. There are other far more pressing concerns for local people now.”
Councillor Ashley Baxter. | Photo: South Kesteven District Council
Independent Ashley Baxter felt it was “barely credible” that the Conservatives “think this is an appropriate time to waste time, effort and public money on this divisive project”.
“In light of the recent statue controversies around the country, and around the world, it is foolhardy and irresponsible to proceed with unveiling a statue of Margaret Thatcher at this time,” he said.
He pointed to English Heritage rules that blue plaque commemorations have to take place no less than 20 years following a person’s death, whereas the Thatcher statue was less than 10 years.
“It is undignified, bordering on dangerous, and I fear the politicians jumping on this particular bandwagon do not have sufficient regard for the potential public order implications,” said Councillor Baxter.
“A project to install a water refill station at Stamford was criticised by local Conservatives as a ‘vanity project’. Surely, the statue of Margaret Thatcher is the biggest Conservative vanity project of them all!?”
| Photo: Getty Images
The statue to be erected was created by sculpture Douglas Jennings and was paid for by public donations.
It remains in storage at a secret location.
When approved, councillors agreed the bronze structure would have to be placed on a 3.2 metre high plinth, making it more than 6.4 metres tall in total.
Previous breakdowns of costs of the unveiling event set out an estimated spend of £50,200 on an external events company and £24,250 on public safety.
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An emergency road closure will be put in place for two hours in Stamford’s Red Lion Square on Wednesday as expert crews carry out road materials testing.
The critical work will take place on Wednesday, May 25 and the road closure in and around the square will be in effect from 10am until 12pm. A full route diversion will be signposted.
The roads will have to be closed because some of the materials testing will be carried out on the live northbound traffic lane in the area.
The route map for traffic whilst testing is underway. | Photo: LCC
Just last week a forty-year-old gas main was discovered during works to replace the old cobbles in Red Lion Square, which the county council said was likely to delay the completion of the £1.4 million project. The site team began the works but later identified the shallow gas main on-site that may need to be diverted.
Lincolnshire County Council will keep, and update, the cobbled square despite the mayor of Stamford previously calling on the authority to instead use tarmac. Local residents had previously reacted in horror when the traditional paving setts were repacked with patches of tarmac in 2020.
Red Lion Square in Stamford. | Photo: LCC
Karen Cassar, assistant director for highways at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We are sorry for the inconvenience that these material tests will cause and for the late notice of the road closure in Red Lion Square.
“Our on-site team has uncovered questions about the road materials which need clear answers and these can only come about through these tests.
“Rather than postpone the works further we will close the road for two hours to carry out the tests and then resume to the original plan of works for the area. We are doing this to absolutely minimise the disruption to road users as much as possible.
“Whilst this situation is not ideal, we appreciate the efforts of all concerned. I want to thank everyone effected for their patience in this matter whilst we carry out these tests.”
Over 300 kilos of essential food was donated to Lincoln Foodbank at the opening night of the Hunchback of Notre Dame on Monday, and the show’s producers are offering a prize draw of free tickets to people who continue to help the cause.
The Starring Lincoln Theatre Company’s production of the classic Victor Hugo novel had its opening night at Lincoln Cathedral on Monday, May 23, and it will continue to bring shows to the legendary venue until Saturday, June 4.
The company called on ticket buyers to bring food donations with them to the cathedral for Lincoln Foodbank, and the results certainly did not disappoint.
Andrew Buhagiar, a 20-year-old student from Malta, stars in the production as Quasimodo. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Over 300kgs of goods such as UHT milk, sugar, tuna and tinned foods were collected at the cathedral, a brilliant start to Starring Lincoln’s target of four tonnes – which was achieved during performances of Oliver! in 2017.
The appeal has never been more necessary, with Lincoln Foodbank taking on more people’s needs than ever before, and it has even reached the stage where some of the Hunchback performers are relying on the use of the food bank.
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Visitors are being invited to continue bringing food donations with them, with a collection point situated in the nave of the cathedral.
All donations are welcome, even from those without tickets to a Hunchback production, and anyone who brings something along will be entered into a prize draw to win a ticket to one of the shows.
A magical display inside Lincoln Cathedral. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Tim Marks, who plays Clopin in the Hunchback of Notre Dame said: “It is heartbreaking frankly that people in one of the richest countries in the world simply cannot afford food.
“We know the people of Lincoln have gone above and beyond before with their kindness and crikey we thank them for it, but the Foodbank has never been more in need of donations.
“We have friends, some of whom in the cast who are in need of the Foodbank’s services, so please bring what you can and in return we promise we will entertain you with an absolute stonker of a show!”