And who would that be? Well, it’s up to you.
Architect and businessman Matthew Laverack has submitted a planning application for the statue, which he calls the Monument To Mismanagement.
His plan envisages a monument to match the one of George Leeman, the Victorian lawyer and politician.
Only his version would memorialise the person that a public vote decided did the most to mismanage the city since 2011.
“It is hoped that this statue will be completed and unveiled in 2015 after the death of the current regime at City of York Council,” the application states.
It would stand opposite Leeman, on a traffic island at Station Rise now home to a flowerbed, and like its 19th century predecessor the new statue would be a lifesize figure carved in limestone atop a square pedestal.
This application “highlights very serious issues which need to be addressed,” said Mr Laverack.
“The city of York is in a horrendous mess, the like of which which I have not seen before in my 63 years – and someone must be culpable.”
Public vote
The George Leeman statue was funded by public subscription, and Mr Laverack wants his Monument To Mismanagement to be funded the same way.
EPIC FAIL 2011-2015
Union Terrace
Beckfield Lane
Kings Square
Lendal Bridge
Newgate Market
Waterworld
Local Development Framework
Twentys Plenty
Arts Barge
Traffic Flow
City Centre Parking
Governance & Transparency
Consultation
Freedom of Information
Get York Building
Housing
Social Care
Elderly Homes
Youth Services
Salt Bins
Street Cleaning
Blocked Drains
“It is intended that a wide public consultation will take place with citizens voting for the person they think most responsible for the fiascos that have afflicted the City of York in the last four years in York,” the application states.
“That person to be the subject of the carved life size statue. The next three persons held most culpable for failure in local governance will have their faces carved in relief on three sides of the pedestal.”
Mr Laverack’s plans go on to state: “The citizens of York have suffered badly over the last four years at the hands of those currently in charge at York Council.
“This statue will give a much needed boost to their morale. It will also be a perpetual reminder not to allow a repeat of local misgovernance.”
He submitted the plans with independent York councillor Mark Warters. “Mark Warters has agreed to be the applicant so that the application must go to committee,” Mr Laverack explained.
“If I submitted in my name the council would determine it in secret behind closed doors using an abuse of delegated officer powers.
“These delegated powers were only ever intended for small uncontroversial applications; never for everyday submissions.
“It is another example of ‘mismanagement’ which this monument is intended to highlight.”
This is the second time Mr Laverack and Mr Warters have united on a planning application. Their previous submission, to create a travellers’ site on the doorstep of the council HQ, is the subject of dispute.
Application ‘invalid’
Sarah Tanburn, interim director of city and environmental services at the council, said the application had been rejected.
“We can confirm we have received the planning application. However, during the normal validation process this was found to be technically invalid.
“This was in relation to land ownership. The applicants have been informed.”
A spokesperson for the ruling Labour group said: “This is an example of personalised nasty politics that does nothing to serve the people of York.
“Council staff should not have to waste their time processing Councillor Warters’ publicity stunts when they should be serving the people of York.”
“Marxists in York masquerading as Labour”. That must be the ‘Marxists’ who pay their CEO £137,500 + generous expenses while they contract out social care to firms who pay their staff far below the minimum wage. You give them too much credit, Mr Laverack: to call them Marxists implies that they have some sort of principles and ideals, however misguided those might be. In fact they are followers of the philosophical teachings of a little-known middle eastern guru, Selfservin Shi’-sta.
Another anonymous commentator.
Another coward.
“Wasting money” is too frightened to identify him/herself.
We are not wasting money.
This is our money – and very well spent it is too.
Just look at the results. We rattled your cage well and truly!
Oh and by the way! Nowhere have we said that other councils are better than the set of incompetents currently in charge at City of York.
I completely agree its your money to use as you see fit using the the sytems that the local government have put in place maybe he/her is anonymous just in case someone applies for planning permission on their driveway wouldnt want it on your own doorstep
Yes, ha ha, great joke. Photoshop it, don’t waste time, money and effort. Such pompous self-congratulation by people who have decided that the current council are awful and every other council was amazing, as if that’s remotely true. I would almost support it if it were the last hundred years, but it’s such a stupid waste of time and effort and actively opposes the point it makes (i.e. pointless/trivial wastes of taxpayer money and staff time) that it’s perhaps the most hypocritical thing I have ever heard of in York.
York Council is adept at rejecting all criticism and evading all responsibility for its failings.
It never admits mistakes. It never apologises.
York Council can block emails.
York Council can block twitter.
York Council can refuse Freedom of Information requests on false grounds of:
Confidentiality
Draft Papers
Vexatiousness
But York Council CANNOT gag a planning application. It might try but ultimately its spurious excuses will fail.
It must deal with a valid application or have the matter taken out of its hands with an appeal for non-determination.
That is what is irking the Marxists in York masquerading as Labour.
Not so-called “pointless” planning applications; but the fact that they are powerless to shut down the criticism that penetrates their armour through the conduit of the Town & Country Planning Acts.
That’s the truth of the matter.
That is the top and bottom of it.
All citizens have aright to lodge any planning application on any site. Provided it is in order and the fee has been paid the council must process it.
Two so far.
Where next?
Im sure a lot of people wil have a problem with the way this has been done however it does raise some valid points in a way that people take notice I applaud them for standing up and saying what people think.PS where is Space Ranger
I can help you out with your enquiry as to the whereabouts of the space ranger.
I am reliably informed that after experiencing difficulties with his helmet hood he has been recalled for adjustments and a new circumfix ring to be fitted. Sadly the nearest dealership is in Uranus and what with the expense of pulsethrob fuel he has applied to the finance dept of City of York Council (Same one that James applied to for a short term cash fix 4 years ago) He is confident of a sympathetic ear due to his continuing cosmic comic battles with their mutual antagonist Darth Laverack. Meanwhile he is to be found sitting on a mat with a K9 near the railings at York Railway station, helmet in hand and a short gamma lead on the K9. (Not to be confused with other sad Halloween ghouls.)
Give generously please. We all wish him a bon voyage and hope he and Uranus are able to reach an understanding while his helmet and jet pack (Mojo Mk 2 with the rubber extension) gets a full service.
We all wish him a safe return avoiding the solar hot air storm emanating from the Cof Y C planning dept and hope he has adjusted his Lendal Navigation App thereby avoiding any unwarranted fines, the scrap collectors living on the new traveller site and the proposed new statue.
One of the best responses ever I do however feel slightly sorry for Space Ranger with the costs of getting his helmet repaired how is he going to pay for the parking permit for his space ship outside his own home?
We are not wasting anyone’s time at York Council. We are paying for it out of our own pockets.
Planning officers have been part time for years due to the recession. Some have been laid off completely.
Applications like this give them a job to do and pay their salaries. We should be applauded for generating economic activity in the city and keeping planning officers employed.
I will applaud you and give you a rousing encore for your contribution when we vote them out and create some unemployment among them……………….James Alexander for starters.
This planning application highlights many of the major failures by the autocratic Labour regime, and those mainly responsible should be dishonoured, and never be allowed to hold office at York Council ever again.
As the man with all the answers I assume Matthew is standing at the next local election.
Sad and pathetic.
Labour’s lurch to the right feeds trolls like Warters and Laverack, and we’ll all pay the price with a new Tory-Liberal coalition.
Well done you 2 rub their looney left noses in it. Now lets see them squirm and wriggle out of this one.