Town's art installation chosen by public

An 11ft (3.5m) high art installation has been chosen by the public for a Devon town.

The Tidal Triplets by Michael Pinsky was one of 11 art proposals for The Strand in Barnstaple as part of a £3m creative boost for the town.

Sixty artists expressed interest in the project led by Flourishing Barnstaple, an initiative led by North Devon Council and supported by Arts Council England's Cultural Development Fund which awarded the money in 2023.

The Tidal Triplets includes three clock-like faces on poles showing the high and low tides of the River Taw, as well as the neap and spring phases and ebb and flood. It would be installed near Grade I listed building Queen Anne's Walk, project leaders said.

The structure has been inspired by tidal rhythms and the hands of the clocks will echo those of Barnstaple's historic Albert Clock.

North Devon Council's planning committee gave it the go-ahead at a meeting on Friday, recognising it had to get on with the project to meet the funding deadline.

The funding was also being used to refurbish the historic Bridge Chambers into a cultural hub and develop workspace studios at Boutport Street, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The Tidal Triplets was considered by planning officers to be "a meaningful and visually appropriate" installation.

The location for the art was moved by 65ft (20m) to be closer to Tea on the Taw following heritage concerns. The height of the poles will be 11ft (3.5m) in a bid to deter vandalism.

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