OKEHAMPTON could soon have an ?exciting? major work of art to welcome visitors. The artwork, most likely a sculpture, would be sited on the Exeter Road and provide a new interesting, eye-catching and cultural entrance to the town. It is happening thanks to a £20,000 grant from the Okehampton United Charity. The money will be used to commission the artwork through Okehampton Town Council. The money comes from the sale of the Broadpark land that used to be the allotment site between Exeter Road and Fatherford Road. Developers often earmark money to go back into the community. For instance, the developers of the 500-home housing development on the eastern edge of Okehampton have agreed to sell a site for a second primary school in the town for a nominal fee of £1 as part of its £2-million injection into the local infrastructure. The £20,000 from Okehampton United Charity has to go towards a work of art and cannot be used for anything else. The council is looking to place the sculpture on the Exeter Road because it feels the other roads into town already have unique features and the main traffic from the A30 uses this road as a way into town. New Road is lined with beech trees, providing an atmospheric and encapsulating entrance while there is a Celtic statue on the Crediton Road. The sites that have been suggested for the new work include the high wall by the doctors? surgery and the grass bank further along the road. Concerns were raised at the town council meeting on Monday that a piece of art to close to town could be the subject of vandalism. Land towards Mole Avon Town and Country Store will also be looked at, but councillors raised further concerns that any work of art along this stretch of road could be hazardous to curious drivers. The work of art will be on a hiking theme, possibly drawing on the Ten Tors for inspiration. Okehampton mayor Tony Leech said Okehampton was known nationwide for the Ten Tors and a sculpture of this would help reinforce town identity. The council is to begin its search for a potential artist and is considering running a competition to find the best idea. Cllr Kay Bickley said that it was ?really exciting? and the council would be seeking to match the funding through another body. Cllr Leech said he was aware spending this amount of money on a piece of art was ?hard to justify? but this was the only way this particular money could be spent. Cllr Christine Marsh pointed out that statues in Hatherleigh and Moretonhampstead, show it is important for Okehampton to ?maintain its cultural standards?. The council hopes that a new gateway to Okehampton will encouragemore culture and economic growth in the town. Councillors were unanimous in carrying the idea forward.
