Council delays sea statues vote

One hundred cast iron figures look out to sea in Crosby Enlarge Image

A decision on whether an artist's beach statues can remain on the Merseyside coast until next year has been put off.

One hundred life-size naked cast iron figures are in place on Crosby beach courtesy of artist Antony Gormley, who also created The Angel of the North.

Sefton Planning Committee has delayed the decision until next month.

Called "Another Place", the attraction has already been exhibited in Belgium, Norway and Germany.

The statues have temporary planning permission until 30 November but Another Place Ltd - the company set up to keep the statues on the beach - wants them to stay for at least another four months.

Green input

A council spokesman said the decision had been deferred pending a response to an application from English Nature.

He said the organisation was being asked to comment on environmental issues surrounding the statues.

Each statue is a cast of the artist's own body, weighing 650kg (1433lbs) and standing 1.96m tall (6ft 5in).

The figures are spread 3km (1.86 miles) along the coastline and 1km out to sea, and are partly submerged at different times, depending on changing tides and weather conditions.