Agenda item

To consider the report of the Exercutive Director, Innovation & Growth

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director, Innovation & Growth.

A few Members commented that there was scope for further consideration of whether the Cass and Beckford statues had a place at Guildhall given the greater diversity of Members since the issue was last discussed in depth at Court level. The meeting heard that the issue had been debated exhaustively in 2021, and that the statues could not be moved because of significant cost and heritage protection issues (in particular, English Heritage). The meeting noted that the report ‘Statues Working Group – the Future of Statues in the Guildhall’ submitted to the Court of Common Council at the meeting of 07 October 2021 would be circulated within a week that summed up the background, options considered, and rationale for the decision to ‘retain and explain’.    

A Member asked for further detail on the explanatory text, and the meeting heard that a writer-researcher had recently been commissioned and that the proposed text was not yet available, though would be submitted to the Committee in March 2023.

The Committee noted that a further Urgency decision on the texts would be submitted in early March 2023, noting the proposal to include the Chief Commoner at the time (Brian Mooney) in the consultation process given his involvement in discussions on the issue.  

RESOLVED, That Members approve the detailed design for both the Beckford and Cass statue plaques.