A SCULPTURE honouring a goose will be allowed to remain in a Somerset coastal town following a vote by district councillors.
Derek, a female goose, became a cult figure in Watchet on the west Somerset coast after arriving during a storm in 2010 and refusing to leave with the rest of her flock.
She became a fixture of Watchet life, with locals and visitors feeding her cabbage and Weetabix, until her passing in October 2021.
A sculpture memorialising Derek was unveiled on The Esplanade on October 2, 2022 – but was almost immediately hit with the threat of being removed, following a complaint by a local resident.
But Somerset West and Taunton Council has now ruled it can remain in place after its planning committee voted to grant retrospective planning permission on Thursday morning (February 23).
The sculpture is sited a short distance from two other prominent pieces of public art – ‘The Ancient Mariner’, commemorating poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s relationship with the town (which inspired his masterpiece The Rime of the Ancient Mariner), and ‘Yankee Jack’, which immortalises the ‘father of sea shanties’ John Short.
Carron Clark, who applied to erect the sculpture, told the committee: “I know it’s quite a comical thing for a lot of people, but Derek was quite meaningful to a lot of people in Watchet.
“The site of the statue is where she used to spend most of her time, on the slipway; unfortunately, it’s also where she met her demise.
“This is a really good, interesting piece of history for Watchet that needs to be shared. We thought it would be really nice for somebody local to do it.
“The schoolchildren absolutely love it, and I’ve seen lots of people take photographs of it already.”
Watchet Town Council had formally objected to the Derek the Goose sculpture, arguing that it was detrimental to the town’s conservation area – an area which includes the entire harbour and marina area, including the East Quay site.
A spokesman said: “We wish to support local artists and community initiatives, and are supportive of the efforts of all involved in commissioning the design and production of this tribute piece in memory of Derek the Goose.
“However, as this memorial has been sited within a conservation area subject to stringent requirements, it is in the wrong location.
“As a result, we would like to see it re-sited elsewhere around the harbour side and is probably best suited to a site on the eastern quayside.”
The newly unveiled memorial #Sculpture for Derek the goose in #Watchet in #Somerset @visitsomerset @lovewatchet @ExmoorMagazine @WalksBritain @ThePhotoHour @see_somerset @SomersetCool pic.twitter.com/QuMhzhpryi
— Liz Elmont Photography (@lizelmontphoto) October 2, 2022
Councillor Loretta Whetlor – who represents Watchet and Williton – said the sculpture had been granted a licence and only two people had complained anonymously about it.
She added: “I like it. It represents a really nice piece of public art, and it’s a really good thing to have.”
Councillor Mark Lithgow added: “What I particularly liked about this is that it wasn’t commissioned by the council – it was local people wanting to have a memory of something that they saw as part of their town.
“If it’s not causing controversy, it’s not art – you’ll always get a couple of people complaining.”
After less than 20 minutes’ debate, the committee voted to allow the sculpture to remain in place.
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