27 July 2024

Interactive sculpture ‘will boost sea front’

By Rebecca Hannant

Planning permission has been sought for a new sculpture to be placed on Hornsea South Promenade.

The sculpture by artist Emma Southard, titled The Hornsea Wave, has been inspired by a piece of Hornsea Pottery that depicts a wave alongside a fish. The design takes inspiration from the ceramic and will blow it up to a larger size to provide an interactive experience.

Once complete, the sculpture is set to be 2.5 metres tall and 1.2 metres wide. However, the sculpture will also provide a walkway for people to climb on board and interact. The one-metre gap between the wave and the fish will also be accessible to wheelchair users. Once it is complete, people will be encouraged to take photos with the sculpture.

If approved, the sculpture would be placed on the land at the corner of Sands Lane and South Promenade. Planning permission was sought in November with consultations still going ahead. So far, the sculpture has received no objections on the East Riding Planning Access website.

The planning documents state that: “The wave element of the installation is sculpted in mild steel and hand woven with various gauges of mild steel wire.

“Once completed it is sent to be hot-dipped galvanised. This prevents rusting and makes the sculpture super-strong and ideal for siting in the public domain.

“The characterful fish is sculpted in sheet steel before being hot-dipped galvanised. Having a contrasting surface, the fish will be smooth – an ideal surface should anyone decide to jump on board. The wave and fish will be bolted on to the base plate, which is then finally fixed down on to concrete footings on the promenade.”

The application was supported by members of Hornsea Town Council at their meeting on Monday, January 9.

Hornsea Town Councillor and Hornsea Urban Gardeners founder June Greensmith said: “I think the sculpture, if supported by East Riding Council planning, will be a good addition to Hornsea’s sea front.

“Its style is certainly in keeping with the town’s Potteries Trail. The planned landscaping would very much improve the appearance and appeal of this little corner of Hornsea’s ‘Mile of Green’ Promenade.”