Girders for Potters Fields Park

The Shepherdess is leaving her flock!!
No Girders, No Shepherdess!
Southwark Council have informed me that Annie Shepherd is leaving in May 2012.
Where should her statue be erected?

Saw this in the independent - the girders are now "in storage"...

Quote:

The decision to accept the sculpture is understood to have been taken by Mr Johnson during a visit to New York. It was originally earmarked for outside the Greater London Authority building near Tower Bridge, but it subsequently transpired that the necessary permissions had not been secured. One source told The IoS: "It was all very well for Mr Johnson to agree to the deal – but no planning permissions were ever sought ahead of time."

That is not quite right. They did get planning permission (albeit rushed through with unseemly haste) but they failed to secure agreement from the leaseholders of Potters Fields Park.

The story continues. Girders removed from Battersea Park after 28 days temp planning permission expires.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-in-row-with-new-york-over-911-memorial-artwork-2371368.html

I didn't realise Boris was behind it, I thought it was Shepherd

I hadn't previously got the impression that Boris had taken a particularly active role in the matter.

I believe Peter Rosengard bumped in to Boris at Lord's cricket ground, told him about the artwork/sculpture/memorial and Boris had pronounced it to be a good idea.

The 9/11 London Project was then able to claim Boris's endorsement during their subsequent efforts to secure a site for it.

I think Peter Rosengard did say at one point - possibly at the planning committee meeting - who had first suggested Potters Fields Park as a location, and it wasn't Boris.

Thanks James. The whole thing seems a bit cobbled together. I imagine we haven't seen the last of this story

This has just been published by City Hall:

Richard Tracey
"What is the Mayor doing to find a permanent home for London's September 11 memorial?"

Written response from the Mayor
"The 9/11 London Project is responsible for securing a permanent suitable location for the Trade Centre Steel Memorial and I support the principal of their endeavours in this matter.

"Such a Memorial is likely to require planning permission which may or may not be referable to me depending upon the location finally decided upon. As such it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.

"In the meantime the memorial garden in Grosvenor Square will remain the London focus for those wishing to commemorate those who tragically lost their lives on 9/11."

Mmm, carefully worded. Wonder if there's any lobbying going on behind the scenes

Boris has now offered the girders a home in the Olympic Park:
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/mayor/exclusive-911-sculpture-left-to-rust-on-farm-will-get-new-home-at-london-olympic-park-8804617.html