PLANS for a piece of public art to be installed at as Harlow church are set to go in front of the Harlow Council planning committee.

The proposal is to install a piece of public art. The art would be located on a new entrance to the church yard of St Marys.

St Marys is Grade II Listed Building the entrance has been provided to allow access to the church from the new housing development at Ram Gorse.

The art work is a series of beads that are twisted and rise to a height of 3.4 metres and have a width (with the twist) of 1.0 metre. The existing opening piers would be demolished and re-instated. The art would also be illuminated. The aim is to locate the lantern element discreetly within the arch structure at the central point.

The requirement to deliver this piece of artwork is contained within the S106 agreement relating to the residential development of the old Harlow Rugby Club site at Ram Gorse (dated 18th February 2015).The applicant explains the process and rationale for the art work as follows:

“The Public Art Scheme was drawn up by the Harlow Art Trust at the request of Harlow Council. Early in the process Kier were approached by representatives of St Mary’s Church which is located next to the site. They had proposals to form a new opening in the Church wall that abuts the development so as to link the Church more closely with the new housing.

Part of their proposals included the creation of a new lychgate feature (an overthrow) that would frame the new opening in the wall. In affect this would be a sculpture. The main entrance to the Church Yard included such a feature and there was a wish to produce something that provided a modern interpretation of this.”

The proposal will be discussed at the next Harlow Council planning committee meeting on Tuesday February 16th at 7.30pm on their YouTube channel.

The full application can be found below.

https://moderngov.harlow.gov.uk/documents/s17507/CLEARED%20HW%20FUL%2020%2000577%20Ram%20Gorse%20Housing%20Site%20Public%20Art_02.02.21.pdf