Earth Goddess, by the artist Sandy Brown, is said to be the tallest ceramic sculpture in the UK and was part of a specifically funded art project to regenerate St Austell.
Made of a series of five huge circles of clay with outstretched arms that are about 20ft (6m) wide, the statue is decorated with bright, bold colours.
The artwork has always split opinion and Richards said “four or five times as week” customers would be complaining about it.
The Town Team’s purpose, external is to give the community a voice and drive “positive change”, and Richards, in role role as chair, organised the survey.
“For some, the artwork has become a symbol of frustration around spending priorities, regeneration efforts, and the perceived lack of meaningful public consultation in decision-making processes,” he said.
He said the survey also showed “a minority of respondents” see the sculpture as a piece of public art and describe it as “vibrant, distinctive, and an important talking point”.