Following the installation of a £140,000 granite bowl on Newbury Lock Island, arts enthusiasts on the Newbury Town Trail Group had wanted to place a 20 foot high bronze statue of a couple on the St John’s Roundabout.

However, town planners vetoed the idea as the concrete base required would deter access to essential pipes and cables beneath the roundabout, as indicated on this website six weeks ago.

Alternative plans to put it on the Tesco/Pinchington Lane roundabout have also collapsed after key sponsor the Colefax Trust said it was too far out of town.

So the Town Trail group behind the plans wants to install the statue on the Robin Hood roundabout. It remains to be seen if West Berkshire Council will approve the new arrangement, as it may be ruled a distraction on the busy roundabout.