Seven statues telling story of Whitby's fishing industry to be placed around the town

Scarborough Council has signed off on a scheme to place seven wireframe statues telling the story of Whitby’s fishing industry around the town after the town council did not object.

Local sculptor Emma Stothard has partnered with the borough council for the project which would see visitors use a companion app to scan QR codes at the seven sites to find out more about the works of art and their links to the town’s history.

Earlier this month, Scarborough Council’s planning committee gave planning permission for the sculptures, subject to no material objection from Whitby Town Council being forthcoming.

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Borough Council planners have now confirmed that no objection has been received and the scheme has been approved.

A series of statues telling the story of Whitby's fishing industry will be placed around the popular seaside town. Credit: Marisa CashillA series of statues telling the story of Whitby's fishing industry will be placed around the popular seaside town. Credit: Marisa Cashill
A series of statues telling the story of Whitby's fishing industry will be placed around the popular seaside town. Credit: Marisa Cashill

A licence from North Yorkshire County Highways to place the sculptures at various locations will also be required before the artwork can be put in place.

"More than just fish and chips": How Whitby became Yorkshire's top visitor destinationA sculpture will be placed at each of the following locations: the west side of the Swing Bridge, the bottom of Flowergate, in front of Church House, the junction of John Street and Skinner Street, the Old Wishing Well, grass at Whitby Pavilion and the Khyber Pass Band Stand.

Mrs Stothard would create seven individual sculptures to tell the story of the fishing industry.

Emma Stothards Fisherlassie from the Fish and Ships festivalEmma Stothards Fisherlassie from the Fish and Ships festival
Emma Stothards Fisherlassie from the Fish and Ships festival
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These will include a fisherwife, a man mending a net, a woman knitting a gansey, photographer and artist Frank Meadow Sutcliffe, a crow’s nest with a lookout, Dora Walker (the only woman to hold a skipper’s licence in the North Sea during World War One) and a herring lassie.