A plea has been made to fell trees concealing one of Huddersfield’s most iconic pieces of art.
The ceramic sculptures on the side of the grade II listed Queensgate Market are largely hidden by trees, and a bid has been made to transform the area.
Chris Marsden, chairman of Huddersfield Civic Society, said: “I was conducting a public art tour of Huddersfield and took a group of 25 and stood them by the roadside and told them to look and they more or less said ‘what at?’
“They implored me to lobby for the removal of the trees so Huddersfield’s heritage can be seen.
“I’d like to see the trees felled and replaced with a community growing project, something along the lines of Incredible Edible Todmorden. Something that enhances the areas instead of detracts from it.
“I think for the benefit of the town we ought to be thinking about the landscape down there.”
Mr Marsden asked for a predicted cost to remove the trees and said that if the council would hire the equipment he will find the trained volunteers to remove them.
He said the felling could provide wider value, with the wood given to artists to use and the vacant land used to grow fruit or vegetables.
The idea won some support and Dalton Labour councillor Cliff Preest said: “I’ve passed by these sculptures for the past 35 years almost on a daily basis.
“I think the principle of removing the trees is an admirable suggestion and I hope it can be achieved.”
Newsome Green councillor Andrew Cooper said: “I’d like to go and have a look to see how big an issue it really is. Also we could look at replanting elsewhere. If we remove trees then let’s replace them.”
The Huddersfield Corporation commissioned the world’s largest ceramic sculpture. It was made in 1969 and it remains on the exterior of Queensgate Market.
The artwork led to the market being Grade II listed and the huge ceramic frieze portrays the manufacture and growing of all the produce sold in the market.
