Councillors reject plans for city centre '˜cheesegrater' sculpture

A 10m-high sculpture by award-winning architectural practice Tonkin Liu, earmarked to go next to the city’s Beverley Gate, has had a barrage of abuse and gained the nickname “The Cheesegrater”.

With the majority of the public, and everyone from Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce to the council’s own conservation officer against it, its planning committee had little choice this afternoon but to turn it down.

But they left the door open for another site - Queens Gardens - to become its home in the future.

The sculpture made from two undulating, perforated stainless skins is designed to allow shafts of light to fall onto a sundial marked on the pavement with key moments in the city’s history.

But many people - from the owners of the Princes Quay shopping centre to the Action for Hull pressure group - were concerned it would obstruct the busy flow of shoppers on what is a narrow pinchpoint between the city centre and Whitefriargate.

There were also questions whether it would work given the usual Yorkshire weather, and whether people would stick rubbish in the holes - turning it into a Litter Gate.

Hull Civic Society said “while pinpointing significant years in Hull’s history by sunlight shining through particular holes onto a timeline is a clever one, there is a real possibility the plan would be foiled by a lack of sun on a rainy day.”

One objector wrote: “This object has all the appeal of an overgrown cheese grater. It blocks the view down Princes Dock. It blocks the pavement in an area that is well known to be a bottleneck. It spoils the proposed redevelopment of the Beverley Gate monument. It is utterly out of scale.”

Its agents said it would work as a time-piece “marking key moments in Hull’s past, present and future” and its “lightness and delicacy” softened its impact, claiming it would “work harmoniously” with the newly revamped areas around it.

Afterwards Garry Taylor, City Major Projects Manager said: “Whilst Tonkin Liu are obviously disappointed we respect the decision of the planning committee who have listened to all the views, including concerns of its location, during the consultation period. The commissioning of work from world-class artists is an integral part of our public realm programme and the long-term plans to make the city centre a distinctive, welcoming and fascinating place to visit.”

Jean Jensen chairwoman for Action for Hull, said they were delighted the committee had listened. She added: “We are all for the sculpture but just in the correct location.”

And Princes Quay centre manager Claire Suggitt said it would have impacted on plans they have to remodel the entrances into the centre. She said: “We are pleased with the decision and welcome the opportunity to work with the council on the relocation of the sculpture.”

John Scotney, chairman of Hull Civic Society, said it hadn’t been the right location, adding: “Anything with a lattice would be rather vulnerable to chip paper, cigarette packets, crisp packets and coke bottles.”