Queen Victoria statue sparks royal row in Blackburn

4:17pm Thursday 3rd January 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Bill Jacobs, Local government reporter

MAJESTIC The statue on the Boulevard MAJESTIC The statue on the Boulevard

CONTROVERSY is growing over the future home of Blackburn’s iconic Queen Victoria statue when the £28 million Cathedral Quarter is complete in 2015.

Borough regeneration boss Dave Harling has promised to look at a variety of sites after a suggestion the 108-year-old landmark should be relocated to the gates of Corporation Park.

Church authorities want to move it within their new scheme while Tory planning spokesman Alan Cottam is determined it should stay on the Boulevard opposite the railway station.

Blackburn, Darwen and Rural Civic Voice Secretary Simon Hugill wants Queen Victoria kept in a prominent place in the town centre and not hidden in the new development.

Former Blackburn Drama Club secretary Eric Nolan has now revealed the main entrance to Corporation Park was the original choice of those behind the statue.

The 70-year-old was a director of James Hargreaves and Sons Ltd wholesale tobacconists and confectioners whose founder was the moving spirit behind commemorating Britain’s longest reigning monarch after her death in 1901.

He said: “James Hargreaves proposed Corporation Park as the original site and I think that this might now be a more suitable site rather than her being lost and out of place in a modern Cathedral Quarter Development.

“The classic entrance would perfectly match the grandeur of the statue of our great queen.”

Coun Cottam said: “I think Queen Victoria should stay where she is, where everybody knows where to find her.

“Moving her is a waste of money.”

Cathedral Canon Andrew Hindley said: "The statue of Queen Victoria is an important part of Blackburn's cultural heritage and we intend to ensure it is preserved as part of the Cathedral development work.

“There is a proposed position for the statue a few yards from its current site.”

Coun Harling said: “I am open to all options people propose.

“We will look at them carefully but want to ensure the new position is suitable for her dignity.”

Mr Hugill said: “I think the statue should stay in the centre of Blackburn which is a classic Victorian mill town.

“Giving her a prominent place in the new Cathedral Quarter would combine the history of Blackburn with the new development of the centre in a fitting manner.”

Comments(16)

paperboy70 says...
4:38pm Thu 3 Jan 13

It's a blinking statue of a dead monarch... in the scheme of things does it really matter where it goes. Get a grip and stop arguing about it.

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Izanears says...
4:53pm Thu 3 Jan 13

My personal opinion is that all statues should have a shelf life. Why on earth should some long dead royal, general, politician, industrialist, philantrophist etc
still be on show today.

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volvowoman says...
6:18pm Thu 3 Jan 13

leave her where she is and history does not have a shelf life. This statue and others like it represent an iconic part of the history of this country. Have we lost all respect for those gone before us??

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ste.g says...
7:12pm Thu 3 Jan 13

haven't the Councillors balls the town up enough.leave it alone it hasn't done any harm where it is all these years

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ste.g says...
7:13pm Thu 3 Jan 13

paperboy70 wrote:
It's a blinking statue of a dead monarch... in the scheme of things does it really matter where it goes. Get a grip and stop arguing about it.
exactly so just leave it here it is

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halfhearted says...
7:32pm Thu 3 Jan 13

It would appear the Church has more power than the Council.
Lets be having some answers,who owns the land ?
If its the town,tell the Church to go swivel,it wasn't too long ago they were scrounging in order to have work done on the Cathedral.

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cathedral citi says...
7:48pm Thu 3 Jan 13

The statue is the most imposing of all statues in the borough. To place it in corporation park will render it a forgotten historic piece of art, and will succumb to graffiti and vandalism, without a doubt.

with a little bit of imagination, the statue could become a centrepoint in the redeveloped cathedral quarter. Once the boulevard side is complete, the statue could be placed in the centre of the new and aptly named 'Victoria square' on its plinth amidst a fountain.

the new cathedral cloister could be named the 'cathedral square.'

so, there you have it. TWO new Squares in Blackburn.

Surely, something to ponder over, councillors?

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lemnats says...
8:14pm Thu 3 Jan 13

They could always treat it the same way as the infirmary make a lot of noise and then bulldoze it down, with the excuse it had got dusty with all the building work.

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phil kernot says...
10:01pm Thu 3 Jan 13

halfhearted wrote:
It would appear the Church has more power than the Council.
Lets be having some answers,who owns the land ?
If its the town,tell the Church to go swivel,it wasn't too long ago they were scrounging in order to have work done on the Cathedral.
It's owned by the church but as long as there making loads a money out of the land to buy more jewels and precious things for the church , thay don't give a dam about people going to church or helping the homeless , just lining the pockets of who have shares in there business , (looks like the church has sold its morals to the devil

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phil kernot says...
10:03pm Thu 3 Jan 13

The church has sold its soul to the devil for money showing there true colours now

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noddy57 says...
12:21am Fri 4 Jan 13

would you move the statue of liberty from its imposing place ?, then why move the vic from its present place, stop coming up with money wasting no brainers,

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chrisi70 says...
12:33am Fri 4 Jan 13

leave her be , many met up under her , her or spiral and spiral already gone , she will only get vandalised up corpy

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2 for 5p says...
4:06am Fri 4 Jan 13

See how much the scrappy will give you

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Carl_24 says...
8:29pm Fri 4 Jan 13

"relocated to the gates of Corporation Park" oh goodie so the ethnic minority of that area can destroy it just like they did with Flora and conservatory.
And before you all jump on my back saying "your being racist" no I am not I'm only saying the truth if they move the Queen Victoria statue to that area it won't be long before it get's vandalized.

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sen c ble says...
8:50pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Carl_24 wrote:
"relocated to the gates of Corporation Park" oh goodie so the ethnic minority of that area can destroy it just like they did with Flora and conservatory.
And before you all jump on my back saying "your being racist" no I am not I'm only saying the truth if they move the Queen Victoria statue to that area it won't be long before it get's vandalized.
No not racist an idiot. It could may well be rather than the asians your mates lunatics, will have a better shot just as they did with the Darwen tower and the cross burning at Holy Trinity.

'Ethnic minority'! No longer in the 70's you twit.

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Phil Simpson says...
12:45pm Sun 6 Jan 13

What is with our local council's obsession with moving statues.

Our democratically elected councillors preside over a deprived borough. As a result, surely there are more worthy causes for the coffers which are maintained by our council taxes.

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