Decision details

To ensure that the statue of Annie Kenney is installed in 2018 to commemorate the centenary year of the Representation of the People Act.
The Annie Kenney Memorial Fund Committee is proposing to gift the Council with the money that has been raised through their public funding efforts. This to date totals £24k.
The money will be given to the Council without condition.
The Council proposes to use the money to install a statue of Annie Kenney in Oldham Town Centre, as part of commemorating the centenary year of the Representation of the People Act.
The Council intends to commission the statue and take ownership and responsibility of the asset, as part of the public realm within Oldham Town Centre.
As part of the regeneration of the Old Town Hall, a public square was built and a plinth was installed at the steps of the Old Town Hall, where it is proposed that the statue of Annie Kenney will be homed.
The total cost of the statue is £30,143 and the Annie Kenney Memorial Fund Committee is continuing fundraising efforts whilst the commissioning and installation of the statue commences, in order to ensure that the Council receives the full costs required.
It is proposed to commission Leander Architectural to produce the statue, because the design maquette has already been prepared by this company and approved by the Annie Kenney Memorial Fund Committee. Therefore, the Council in taking the project forward, would need to commission the statue from the same company. In light of this, it is proposed to seek an exemption from the Contract Procedure Rules under Rules 21.3 (a) and 21.3 (c) so that Leander Architectural can be commissioned to create the Annie Kenney statue.
It is also proposed that the Council will support an opening launch by having some Annie Kenney material on display in our WW1 exhibition that should coincide with the unveiling.
The statue will be placed on the Council’s asset register and the ongoing maintenance will be funded through the Town Centre Management budget, like other public art in the town.

RESOLVED - That an exemption from the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules be approved under Rules 21.3 (a) and 21.3 (c) and that Leander Architectural be commissioned to create the statue of Annie Kenney.

To utilise the funding for other initiatives, however, the Council has built a plinth in the town centre to home the statue and therefore proposes to use the money to install the statue.

To utilise the funding for other initiatives.

Leader of the Council
The Annie Kenney Memorial Fundraising Committee
Officers in legal, regeneration, town centre team, planning, finance, procurement and risk and insurance.