Award-winning South Tyneside sculpture earmarked for demolition

An award-winning art sculpture in South Tyneside has been earmarked for demolition under new plans submitted to council development chiefs.

South Tyneside Council’s planning department has received a demolition application for public art known as ‘The Swarm’ off Mill Lane, at the corner of Monkton Business Park North.

The artwork is a steel structure standing at around 10.5 metres high and is made up of segments, as well as a vertical opening along the side showcasing a steelwork model of a bee swarm.

According to the Land Trust’s website, the structure is one of two award-winning sculptures produced by local artist William Pym, and sits near Monkton Community Woodland.

The Land Trust’s website adds the “innovative” sculptures “represent the transformation of Monkton Coke Works from a polluted industrial site into a natural green environment”.

New plans from the Land Trust, the official applicant for the demolition scheme, aim to dismantle and remove the artwork.

The justification for this, set out in a planning application, states that “ongoing maintenance funds are not available”.

The planning application states that the method of demolition would involve “sectional dismantling” of the steel structure and transportation off-site and reinstating the paved base area.

The application adds that the steel structure would “become the ownership of the demolition contractor for scrap recycling, along with any ancillary paving blocks”.

According to the planning application, work is expected to start later this month and the demolition would take around four days.

The Land Trust is seeking “prior approval” from South Tyneside Council’s planning department for the demolition.

A decision on the planning application will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.