Illuminated park friendship sculpture is approved

Plans for an illuminated steel sculpture which will form the centrepiece of a new park in Leicestershire have been approved.

The Friendship Park in Northampton Road, Market Harborough, opened in May after the derelict site was landscaped to encourage people to talk about their mental wellbeing.

The three-metre (10ft) steel artwork will be made of a hollow column with positive words and phrases cut into it, which are projected on to the ground either by sunlight or lights inside.

On Thursday, Harborough District Council's planning committee backed the plans, with the sculpture due to be in place by the end of the year.

The £10,000 scheme, which replaces a mobile phone mast, is being paid for by developer contributions.

Planning documents stated: "The sculpture is intended to act as a focal point within Friendship Park, reinforcing its role as a public amenity space.

"The design incorporates perforated friendship-themed quotes repeated around the circumference of the column.

"This perforation would allow natural light to pass through the structure during daylight hours, creating visual interest through light and shadow, while in the evenings the internal illumination would provide a subtle and contained glow.

"The proposed internal lighting would comprise three warm LED bulbs, ensuring that the sculpture is softly illuminated without resulting in excessive brightness or visual intrusion."

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