King Orry statue plans recommended for refusal due to 'scale, verticality, and illumination'

The statue was set to be erected on land beside Tynwald Hill

Plans to install a bronze statue of King Orry in St John’s have been recommended for refusal, as it would risk 'undermining the visual and cultural primacy of the site'.

The illuminated statue would have stood at just under three metres tall and 1.8 metres wide next to Tynwald Hill.

It was set to depict King Orry with his sword sheathed and his left arm outstretched, mounted on a plinth inscribed with King Orry’s name in Manx Gaelic, English, and runes.

A plaque was also planned to accompany the installation, detailing his historical significance, drawing from the Chronicles of the Kings of Man and the Isles - the earliest recorded history of the Island.

The estimated cost of the project was undisclosed but Manx Radio was told the sculpture would have been 'privately funded', not with public money.

Plans for the project were submitted by the President of Tynwald back in March.

But the planning committee's agenda for next week (28 July) reveals they have been recommended for refusal, as the sculpture's 'scale, verticality, and illumination would disrupt the openness, horizontality, and visual coherence of the Tynwald Green landscape'.

The document also reveals objections were submitted by Manx National Heritage and German Parish Commissioners.

If the plans are officially refused by the planning committee next week, an appeal process can take place.

The reasons for refusal given by the planning officer in full:

• The proposal would introduce a visually assertive structure that would be perceived as visually and materially at odds with the established character and symbolic clarity of the nationally significant ceremonial landscape surrounding Tynwald Hill. This risks undermining the visual and cultural primacy of the site. The development therefore conflicts with Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policies 40 and 42, which require that proposals protect or enhance the setting of heritage assets and respond sensitively to local character and identity. The absence of a Heritage Impact Assessment further weakens the proposal's ability to demonstrate compliance with these policies.
• The sculpture's scale, verticality, and illumination would disrupt the openness, horizontality, and visual coherence of the Tynwald Green landscape. This is contrary to Strategic Policies 4 and 5, Environment Policy 42, and General Policy 2, which require that development respect landscape character, integrate with its surroundings, and contribute positively to the Island's environment.
• The development site lies within an area of known archaeological sensitivity, with recorded features including subsurface anomalies and burial-related structures. While a geophysical survey has been submitted, it does not constitute a full archaeological evaluation and leaves several anomalies unverified. In accordance with Environment Policy 41 and Paragraph 7.33.2 of the Strategic Plan, proposals affecting sites of known or potential archaeological significance must be supported by appropriate evaluation prior to determination to enable an informed planning decision. The absence of such an evaluation prevents a proper understanding of the site's archaeological value and conflicts with policy.

You can find the planning committee's agenda in full HERE.