The controversial 13ft statue locally called ‘The Don’ that stands outside Charter House at 62-68 Hills Road, may finally have to be removed after ten years. Originally commissioned for a new office development in Cambridge, it was put up without planning permission, but now the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning service, on behalf of the city council has issued an enforcement notice and told the site owners to remove it.
The figure, supposed to represent Prince Philip in his robes as vice-chancellor of Cambridge University with mortar board and tassel, is cast in bronze but painted black and white, with a twisted bronze abstract ‘head’. It has been described as ‘kitsch-like’ and ‘detritus masquerading as public art’ and nobody, apart from the wealthy property developer who commissioned it, seems to have a good word to say about it.
I will be glad to see it gone, but remain angry that developers could just dump it in place and then force the council to spend officers’ time and money getting them to take it away. We deserve better.
Here’s the original refusal document.
Here’s a report on the controversy over who actually made it:
And here is the new enforcement notice
EN/00222/23 | Alleged erection of a sculpture ‘The Cambridge Don’ without permission | Charter House 62 – 68 Hills Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB2 1LA (greatercambridgeplanning.org)