Controversial sculpture set for return to town 5 years after it was taken down

A CONTROVERSIAL sculpture is set to return to public display in Derbyshire five years after it was unlawfully removed, hidden by a councillor, and eventually stored in another town.

- By EDDIE BISKNELL Local democracy reporter

The Black's Head sculpture, which formed part of a Grade-II*-listed sign above St John’s Street in Ashbourne, was removed by protesters in June 2020.

It was hidden by Cllr Stuart Lees - who is now Conservative Group leader on the district council - in his home for four days, before being returned to Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Since the incident, the head sculpture has been kept in Derbyshire County Council's Matlock Records Office for five years “for safekeeping”.

Now the district council has filed plans for permission to house the head sculpture in Ashbourne Museum - Ashbourne Historical Centre - in a glass container alongside a display explaining the item's history and the circumstances of its removal.

Documents submitted with the plans detail a brief summary of the events of the sculpture’s removal.

These state: “The current situation is that the head element was removed from the sign on 8th June 2020 by persons unknown without the consent of the district council in its capacity as owner of the sign or as local planning authority.

“The removal was at the time of heightened tensions nationally about statues and structures with an actual or alleged connection with the slave trade.