Sculptures unveiled for centre of town at a cost of £240,000

THESE are the £240,000 sculptures designed to attract art lovers and shoppers into Blackburn as the town moves into the 21st century.

And the artist behind the unusual public art -- whom council bosses hope will become the new Henry Moore -- said he had received nothing but positive comments about the scheme, although one critic today said he was "totally unimpressed."

The five sculptures, called Transitions, are between 1.5m and 5.5m high and are expected to be in place later this year as part of the controversial pedestrianisation of Church Street. Each represents a different stage in the development of the cotton plant.

They will be made from bronze, stainless steel, stone and optical fibres and three will include water and have been created by West Yorkshire-based Ian Randall. The 35-year-old artist has been involved the redesign of Church Street and produced eight other major pieces of street sculpture in places such as Bradford, Coventry and Cardiff.

The scheme is expected to be rubber-stamped after receiving approval from Labour councillors on Blackburn with Darwen Council's executive board last night.

Opposition Conservative members joined the praise of the sculptures, and the local Civic Society has also said they are "impressive".

But Fleming Square hairdresser Jeff Stone, an opponent of the Church street pedestrianisation, said: "I am totally unimpressed with these.

"All the people who come into the town shopping will be able to see what is in the minds of our city fathers.

"There is enough heritage in Blackburn to come up with something the people of the town could have identified with better than this. "

The £241,000 scheme will be paid for by European funding which can only be spent on Church Street's redevelopment.

Coun Ashley Whalley, the council's executive member for regeneration who has pushed for the art to be put in place, said: "There was public consultation over this through a series of town centre groups such as the town centre forum and the Civic Society. I think it also went through the citizen panel of 1,500 local people." Coun Whalley said the designs had "really grown" on him. He said: "What we would hope is to have commissioned a new Henry Moore. It would be wonderful if in 10-15 years time these sculptures had an international interest.

Coun Whalley said: "If you want to go for someone who is a bit of a name you have to pay the going rate. I am committed to getting the best for Blackburn and I don't see why we should put up with second or third best."

Ian Randall said: "I was quite surprised by the response because I usually get some sort of negative. It is hard to know how people will react, but the response from the council has been all positive, and they being members of the public, I can only expect other people will react in a similar way."

Doug Chadwick of Blackburn Civic Society said public art was "vital" to town centres.

He said he the sculptures were "really impressive."

Mr Chadwick added: "Art is about being controversial, and it makes the town more interesting."

Coun Colin Rigby, leader of the council's Conservative group, said the art was "very modernistic" but said: "There has not been any comment about them from our group. They seem to have accepted them."

The council has prompted public art since becoming a unitary authority but Conserviative Coun Sheila Williams, who described the sculpture of the naked man lying on a rock which was placed on a roundabout at the junction of the Lower Eccleshill link road and the M65 as a "monstrosity" joined in the praise and said: "I think this is an absolute sea change in style, which is very welcome."