(Reposted from Adur and Worthing Council website)
Plans for a touching art installation celebrating a Worthing resident's love of cycling have been approved by councillors.
Don Lock was a keen cyclist and member of the Worthing Excelsior Cycling Club for 50 years before he was tragically killed in 2015.
His family has been trying for some time to find a suitable location for an art installation commemorating cycling in his memory.
Working with them, Worthing Borough Council has identified an area near the promenade as an appropriate site as it lies near the town centre and the seafront cycle path, which forms part of the Route 2 on the National Cycle Network.
The installation would also be near the planned cafe at the Bayside development, which the family believes could become a popular meeting place for local cyclists.
The Council's Planning Committee agreed to the principle of the art installation at a virtual meeting held last week (16th December 2020).
However, the committee had some sympathy with the concerns of residents of New Parade, which was a suggested location, and requested that officers work with Roffey Homes to relocate the artwork to the new Bayside development.
Cllr Paul High, chairman of the Council's Planning Committee, said:
“I am pleased we have been able to work with the family of Don Lock to bring forward this very poignant art installation which will celebrate a local resident's passion.
“Mr Lock was a keen cyclist and long-time member of the Excelsior Cycling Club, so the proposed location near Route 2 of the National Cycle Network is extremely fitting.
“Colleagues on the committee are confident that, providing an agreement can be made with the developers of Bayside, this installation will be a welcome addition to our thriving seafront.”
The artwork will be a two-metre-high sloped Caithness flagstone, set back slightly from the promenade, which will incorporate a carving of a cyclist and an inscription celebrating the joy of cycling.
Set within a concrete foundation, the monolith would be robust and low-maintenance to ensure it is appropriate for its exposed seafront location.
Pending approval of the location, the installation will be paid for by a fund raised by Mr Lock's family.
Photos: Artist's impression of the Don Lock art installation planned for Worthing Seafront
