Oakham Town Council takes over ownership of statue of late Queen Elizabeth from Rutland County Council

A town council has formally adopted the late Queen.

Oakham Town Council is now responsible for the statue on land at the back of Oakham Library, which was unveiled in April, after signing a contract with Rutland County Council.

The CCTV and the lighting at the base of the statue are the responsibility of the county council because there was a ‘no-cost agreement’ with Oakham Town Council.

Coun Adam Lowe said: “We have informed RCC that we have already taken out an insurance policy to cover any event involving the statue, and that we have agreed to the upkeep and cleaning of the statute on an ‘as needed’ basis, but have not committed OTC to either dates or frequency of when this will take place.

“I also think it prudent that we should agree that, were there circumstances where the statue was to be removed at some point in the future, the land on which it stands should automatically return to this council.”

Members were also read a formal thank you letter from the Lord Lieutenant of Rutland, Dr Sarah Furness, in which she said: “I am delighted at the positive responses to this first memorial statue of our late Queen.

“As you know it has had world press coverage and it appears to be brining people to Oakham… there are usually people looking at it and photographing it … in fact it is doing all that we wanted helping to put both Rutland and Oakham on the map.

“I would be grateful if Oakham Town Council would hold the statue in perpetuity on behalf of the people of Rutland… I mentioned this to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh who also thought that it was a good idea for the town council to hold it.”