Plans for tallest sculpture approved

B of the Bang will be built next to the stadium

Plans for a sculpture set to become the tallest in the UK have been given the go-ahead.

The 184-foot steel work of art will be erected next to the City of Manchester stadium.

Councillors in Manchester granted planning permission for B of the Bang on Thursday.

The floodlit sculpture will feature 200 tapered columns shooting from its centre and has been compared to a fireworks explosion.

The sculpture will feature 180 steel spikes

A model of the sculpture was unveiled at the city's town hall, after the planning meeting in which councillors discussed the proposals.

The plans have been put forward by designer Tom Heatherwick to mark the success of the Games.

The artwork features 180 steel spikes and is aimed at capturing the power of athletics and the crack of the starting pistol.

B of the Bang, funded by the North West Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund, will stand on the corner of Alan Turing Way and Ashton New Road.