{"id":284823,"date":"2025-11-26T18:36:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T18:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/284823\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T18:36:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T18:36:10","slug":"council-to-spend-30000-relocating-sculpture-damaged-by-food-and-drink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/284823\/","title":{"rendered":"Council to spend \u00a330,000 relocating sculpture damaged by food and drink"},"content":{"rendered":"

The iconic Poet and Scholar sculpture in Ayr High Street is to be moved to Rozelle Park at a cost of more than \u00a330,000.<\/p>\n

It was revealed that the carving, which was created by the sculptor Doug Cocker in 1995, had suffered corrosion damage, possibly as a result of spilled drinks and food.<\/p>\n

Depute leader Alec Clark had questioned the cost of the relocation at a meeting of South Ayrshire Council Cabinet on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

He said he wasn\u2019t against the relocation itself, just the cost.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cI don\u2019t know if there\u2019s any flexibility in that.\u00a0I think some people will maybe baulk a little at the figure of \u00a330,911.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not against relocating it. It just seems rather a large amount of the finance to relocate that particular sculpture out to Rozelle Park.\u201d<\/p>\n

Assistant director of communities\u00a0George Hunter gave councillors some more background on the move.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cA condition survey has been carried out on the Poet and Scholar sculpture in the High Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, there is a view that it is a bit of a pinch point there in terms of its location,\u00a0adjacent to Hope Street and next to the Grain Exchange, and improving that wider public realm environment would, in itself, be a good thing to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would also note that a condition survey done on the sculpture has identified some significant issues as a result of its location in the High Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cSticky residue is present on much in the surface, possibly from tree sap or spilled drinks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sculpture\u2019s busy location suggests that it is often used as a surface for food and beverages.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis residue has a detrimental effect on the metal surface\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that the substance was also working its way through scratches on the surface of the statue to the bare bronze beneath the surface patina.<\/p>\n

The lack of drainage is also leading to further corrosion beneath the surface.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cTo leave it where it is, it is only going to further decline.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Hunter said that moving the sculpture to Rozelle would make safer, better use of the work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cost that we have, which came from our neighbourhood services team, are, I believe, to be competitive costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that the relocation was \u2018not an inconsiderable undertaking, and included the installation at Rozelle and working to repair any of the defects in the statue.<\/p>\n

Mr Hunter added: \u201cI am content that it represents good value for money.\u201d<\/p>\n

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