The unveiling of a controversial statue of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in Grantham may exceed the estimated budget by nearly £10,000.

The statue itself cost £300,000. Photo: R Barraez D´Lucca via Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

South Kesteven District Council initially said £100,000 would be allocated to open the statue, but questions are now swirling about how the money will be spent.

Just over £50,000 is to go towards organisation, such as staging and seating, and around £25,000 is intended for public safety costs.

An optional additional cost of roughly £35,000, intended for a sound system and lighting, among other things, reportedly brings the total estimate to £109,490.

The £300,000 bronze statue will stand 20ft tall, including a 10ft plinth designed to deter vandalism.

It’s unlikely to be warmly welcomed, as The Lincolnite reported in December that more than 14,000 people had registered an interest in attending an egg-throwing competition at the statue.

Mrs Thatcher, who died in 2013, was the first female prime minster of England, holding the office between 1979 and 1990.

During this time, she effectively closed almost all of the coal mines, giving her a controversial reputation.

The statue is being built in her memory, as Grantham is her birthplace.

 

Header image: R Barraez D´Lucca via Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

By Harmony Holland

News Editor at The Linc.