Bike rack sculpture is 'a monstrosity' says Rossendale councillor

4:00pm Thursday 14th February 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Chris Adams

Coun Peter Roberts said the design was bizarre, while Coun Jimmy Eaton said it looked ‘more like the Loch Ness monster’ than a bike rack. Coun Peter Roberts said the design was bizarre, while Coun Jimmy Eaton said it looked ‘more like the Loch Ness monster’ than a bike rack.

A SCULPTURE that will direct visitors to one of Rossendale’s most popular tourist attractions has been branded ‘a monstrosity’ by a councillor.

The artwork, intended for use as a bicycle rack, is due to be placed in Newchurch Road, Bacup, in front of Rossendale Council’s headquarters, at Futures Park.

The £10,000 galvanised steel structure will welcome users to the town’s mountain biking trails at Lee Quarry Adrenaline Gateway, and is designed to rep-resent a bouncing tyre.

The rack, which will be 7.5m long, 3.3m wide, and 2.5m tall, will be created by Sheffield-based artist Robin Dobson.

It was granted planning perm-ission at a meeting of the coun-cil’s development control comm- ittee on Tuesday. Coun Peter Roberts, one of two councillors to vote against the proposal, said: “The design of this so-called sculpture is completely bizarre. It’s a monstrosity. I think we need to make it clear this isn’t a new council logo. We have to be careful when planning art in the public realm. To me it’s more something like the Angel of the North than a bike rack.”

Coun Jimmy Eaton said it looked ‘more like the Loch Ness monster’ than a bike rack.

The rack, which will be paint-ed grey with lime green and orange detail, will be built on a grass verge alongside the foot-path where Newchurch Road meets Futures Park.

Steve Jackson, head of health, housing and regeneration at the council, said Rossendale tax-payers’ would not be footing the bill.

He said: “The funding came three years ago when the council received a £100,000 performance reward grant from central government for above-average performance in local strategic partnerships. £10,000 of that was set aside for marketing the Adrenaline Gateway through this cycle rack. We think this ties in well with the three scul-ptures already in place at the Lee Quarry site. It makes a stat-ement. I have a meeting next week to iron out the logistics, but I’m not sure yet of the time-scale of when it will be in place.”

Comments (13)

4:43pm Thu 14 Feb 13

JayEss says...

I like it. Looks different in a good way.
I like it. Looks different in a good way. JayEss

4:50pm Thu 14 Feb 13

POW WOW says...

It will encourage bike thieves.
It will encourage bike thieves. POW WOW

5:56pm Thu 14 Feb 13

burner says...

Re Driving Tests ( which we are apparently not allowed to comment on ) : . . . . . . . . Quite right !! If yo do not speak a language ( with a different alphabet) how the hell can you understand traffic / travel / enforcement information ?
Re Driving Tests ( which we are apparently not allowed to comment on ) : . . . . . . . . Quite right !! If yo do not speak a language ( with a different alphabet) how the hell can you understand traffic / travel / enforcement information ? burner

7:41pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Stop Backenders says...

JayEss wrote:
I like it. Looks different in a good way.
It will look better if we could hancuff all the money grabbing MPs to it and leave them there to rot.
[quote][p][bold]JayEss[/bold] wrote: I like it. Looks different in a good way.[/p][/quote]It will look better if we could hancuff all the money grabbing MPs to it and leave them there to rot. Stop Backenders

7:56pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Stop Backenders says...

POW WOW wrote:
It will encourage bike thieves.
Might get lucky and some one on thier travels might take a fancy and Weigh it in for scrap wouldent that tickle you
[quote][p][bold]POW WOW[/bold] wrote: It will encourage bike thieves.[/p][/quote]Might get lucky and some one on thier travels might take a fancy and Weigh it in for scrap wouldent that tickle you Stop Backenders

8:14pm Thu 14 Feb 13

nmclean77 says...

Well, the travellers are on Futures Park, for the SECOND TIME THIS YEAR, so with no image of the council doing anything to prevent them from illegally using this land, there is the chance that this will be stolen and weighed in for scrap metal - yet more money wasted, along with approximately £5,000 each time the council evicts the travellers!
Well, the travellers are on Futures Park, for the SECOND TIME THIS YEAR, so with no image of the council doing anything to prevent them from illegally using this land, there is the chance that this will be stolen and weighed in for scrap metal - yet more money wasted, along with approximately £5,000 each time the council evicts the travellers! nmclean77

9:48am Fri 15 Feb 13

Izanears says...

burner wrote:
Re Driving Tests ( which we are apparently not allowed to comment on ) : . . . . . . . . Quite right !! If yo do not speak a language ( with a different alphabet) how the hell can you understand traffic / travel / enforcement information ?
I can't agree more burner. I was not at all surprised that there was no comment box for this topic.
[quote][p][bold]burner[/bold] wrote: Re Driving Tests ( which we are apparently not allowed to comment on ) : . . . . . . . . Quite right !! If yo do not speak a language ( with a different alphabet) how the hell can you understand traffic / travel / enforcement information ?[/p][/quote]I can't agree more burner. I was not at all surprised that there was no comment box for this topic. Izanears

12:06am Sat 16 Feb 13

Better Bacup says...

What's with all the hyphens, Chris? idiosyncrasy or bad proof reading?

I think the sculpture more likely to attract metal thieves than bike thieves, it looks half scrapped already.
What's with all the hyphens, Chris? idiosyncrasy or bad proof reading? I think the sculpture more likely to attract metal thieves than bike thieves, it looks half scrapped already. Better Bacup

12:20am Sat 16 Feb 13

Better Bacup says...

Stop Backenders wrote:
burner wrote:
Re Driving Tests ( which we are apparently not allowed to comment on ) : . . . . . . . . Quite right !! If yo do not speak a language ( with a different alphabet) how the hell can you understand traffic / travel / enforcement information ?
Your right mate don,t upset the non speaking english person you could lose your human rights and get locked up for freedom of speech. its funny why subjects like this are not allowed to be comented on when certian non speaking subjects are involved the countrys gone to the dogs. Thats why theres no more money left for the NHS it all goes into one pot the one which says non uk residents only
For someone with such strong feelings about non-english speakers, you might want to brush up on your spelling and grammar. Not to mention your poor grasp of economics.
By the way, I agree that a person ought to know the native language in order to drive a car in any country and support the change in regulations enforcing that rule here.
[quote][p][bold]Stop Backenders[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]burner[/bold] wrote: Re Driving Tests ( which we are apparently not allowed to comment on ) : . . . . . . . . Quite right !! If yo do not speak a language ( with a different alphabet) how the hell can you understand traffic / travel / enforcement information ?[/p][/quote]Your right mate don,t upset the non speaking english person you could lose your human rights and get locked up for freedom of speech. its funny why subjects like this are not allowed to be comented on when certian non speaking subjects are involved the countrys gone to the dogs. Thats why theres no more money left for the NHS it all goes into one pot the one which says non uk residents only[/p][/quote]For someone with such strong feelings about non-english speakers, you might want to brush up on your spelling and grammar. Not to mention your poor grasp of economics. By the way, I agree that a person ought to know the native language in order to drive a car in any country and support the change in regulations enforcing that rule here. Better Bacup

4:08pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Stop Backenders says...

Better Bacup wrote:
Stop Backenders wrote:
burner wrote:
Re Driving Tests ( which we are apparently not allowed to comment on ) : . . . . . . . . Quite right !! If yo do not speak a language ( with a different alphabet) how the hell can you understand traffic / travel / enforcement information ?
Your right mate don,t upset the non speaking english person you could lose your human rights and get locked up for freedom of speech. its funny why subjects like this are not allowed to be comented on when certian non speaking subjects are involved the countrys gone to the dogs. Thats why theres no more money left for the NHS it all goes into one pot the one which says non uk residents only
For someone with such strong feelings about non-english speakers, you might want to brush up on your spelling and grammar. Not to mention your poor grasp of economics.
By the way, I agree that a person ought to know the native language in order to drive a car in any country and support the change in regulations enforcing that rule here.
Have you have wondered why some people cannot spell or do proper grammar in this world it is because we cannot for some reason no matter how hard we try. However, Some are gifted with other things in life that you may not have, to make up for these mistakes that’s why we all need each other to help each other out so how would you like to be are spell checker and proofer
What would the world be like if everybody could spell but are not capable off anything else full of smartarses
PS See the funny side of this remark
[quote][p][bold]Better Bacup[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Stop Backenders[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]burner[/bold] wrote: Re Driving Tests ( which we are apparently not allowed to comment on ) : . . . . . . . . Quite right !! If yo do not speak a language ( with a different alphabet) how the hell can you understand traffic / travel / enforcement information ?[/p][/quote]Your right mate don,t upset the non speaking english person you could lose your human rights and get locked up for freedom of speech. its funny why subjects like this are not allowed to be comented on when certian non speaking subjects are involved the countrys gone to the dogs. Thats why theres no more money left for the NHS it all goes into one pot the one which says non uk residents only[/p][/quote]For someone with such strong feelings about non-english speakers, you might want to brush up on your spelling and grammar. Not to mention your poor grasp of economics. By the way, I agree that a person ought to know the native language in order to drive a car in any country and support the change in regulations enforcing that rule here.[/p][/quote]Have you have wondered why some people cannot spell or do proper grammar in this world it is because we cannot for some reason no matter how hard we try. However, Some are gifted with other things in life that you may not have, to make up for these mistakes that’s why we all need each other to help each other out so how would you like to be are spell checker and proofer What would the world be like if everybody could spell but are not capable off anything else full of smartarses PS See the funny side of this remark Stop Backenders

8:50pm Sat 16 Feb 13

pdb951 says...

What a heap of C**p. £10000 for a heap of twisted scrap metal. This council is hidious
What a heap of C**p. £10000 for a heap of twisted scrap metal. This council is hidious pdb951

10:52pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Better Bacup says...

Stop Backenders wrote:
Better Bacup wrote:
Stop Backenders wrote:
burner wrote:
Re Driving Tests ( which we are apparently not allowed to comment on ) : . . . . . . . . Quite right !! If yo do not speak a language ( with a different alphabet) how the hell can you understand traffic / travel / enforcement information ?
Your right mate don,t upset the non speaking english person you could lose your human rights and get locked up for freedom of speech. its funny why subjects like this are not allowed to be comented on when certian non speaking subjects are involved the countrys gone to the dogs. Thats why theres no more money left for the NHS it all goes into one pot the one which says non uk residents only
For someone with such strong feelings about non-english speakers, you might want to brush up on your spelling and grammar. Not to mention your poor grasp of economics.
By the way, I agree that a person ought to know the native language in order to drive a car in any country and support the change in regulations enforcing that rule here.
Have you have wondered why some people cannot spell or do proper grammar in this world it is because we cannot for some reason no matter how hard we try. However, Some are gifted with other things in life that you may not have, to make up for these mistakes that’s why we all need each other to help each other out so how would you like to be are spell checker and proofer
What would the world be like if everybody could spell but are not capable off anything else full of smartarses
PS See the funny side of this remark
Better than if everybody was a xenophobic smartarse, 'mate'.
[quote][p][bold]Stop Backenders[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Better Bacup[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Stop Backenders[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]burner[/bold] wrote: Re Driving Tests ( which we are apparently not allowed to comment on ) : . . . . . . . . Quite right !! If yo do not speak a language ( with a different alphabet) how the hell can you understand traffic / travel / enforcement information ?[/p][/quote]Your right mate don,t upset the non speaking english person you could lose your human rights and get locked up for freedom of speech. its funny why subjects like this are not allowed to be comented on when certian non speaking subjects are involved the countrys gone to the dogs. Thats why theres no more money left for the NHS it all goes into one pot the one which says non uk residents only[/p][/quote]For someone with such strong feelings about non-english speakers, you might want to brush up on your spelling and grammar. Not to mention your poor grasp of economics. By the way, I agree that a person ought to know the native language in order to drive a car in any country and support the change in regulations enforcing that rule here.[/p][/quote]Have you have wondered why some people cannot spell or do proper grammar in this world it is because we cannot for some reason no matter how hard we try. However, Some are gifted with other things in life that you may not have, to make up for these mistakes that’s why we all need each other to help each other out so how would you like to be are spell checker and proofer What would the world be like if everybody could spell but are not capable off anything else full of smartarses PS See the funny side of this remark[/p][/quote]Better than if everybody was a xenophobic smartarse, 'mate'. Better Bacup

11:27am Sun 17 Feb 13

Stop Backenders says...

Some people can dish it out, but cant take it get a sense of humour if every body took that atitude it would be a sad world full of biggots.
Ps can you check my spelling we are all not perfect like some.
Some people can dish it out, but cant take it get a sense of humour if every body took that atitude it would be a sad world full of biggots. Ps can you check my spelling we are all not perfect like some. Stop Backenders

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