Frank Sidebottom statue gets the go-ahead

Planning permission has been granted for a full-sized bronze statue of Frank Sidebottom in his adopted town of Timperley.

Now councillors in Trafford, Greater Manchester, have given the go-ahead, it is hoped the statue will be unveiled on April 1, which was nominally Frank’s birthday.

Campaigners are around £3,000 short of their £20,000 target to fund the work, but Neil Taylor, chairman of the statue campaign, said he was ‘more than confident that we will get donors’ following today’s decision.

Taylor, who is also a Lib Dem councillor for Timperley, told Chortle: ‘I am delighted that we have now taken one step closer to getting the Frank Sidebottom Statue into Timperley Village. Once erected Frank Sidebotttom will always be able to watch the Timperley sunset.’

The statue will be a bronze cast, but his distinctive head will be painted in enamel paints, which will stand out from the body. The figure has his thumbs up and arm out so fans can have pictures taken with him – and those wanting the statue had to check with the National Federation Of The Blind to make sure his outstretched arm did not prove an hazard.

Campaigners hope the statue will be as big a draw as the Eric Morecambe statue in Morecambe – as well as a lasting tribute to Sidebottom’s creator, Chris Sievey, who died in June 2010 after a short battle with cancer.

Fundraising efforts so far have included a concert called Frankfest headlined by The Fall and Badly Drawn Boy.

Published: 21 Dec 2012