The 1805 Dispatches #26.04 August 2026 5 of 8 NELSON AND MURRAY MAY BE REMOVED ‘The Argus’, a Brighton (UK) local newspaper, reports: A statue of a war hero may have to be removed after a council refused plans for it to remain on public display permanently. The resin sculpture, depicting Admiral Lord Nelson and Admiral Sir George Murray, has been positioned outside Chichester City Council’s North Street offices on a temporary basis since May 2020. However, a recent application by the city council to retain it permanently has been refused by Chichester District Council. The artwork, created by sculptor Vincent Gray, was installed with a five-year temporary planning permission, which was extended by one year in 2025. The city council had argued that the statue was of public value and enhances the area’s heritage. In a planning statement, it said: "The proposed sculpture reflects part of Chichester’s unique heritage and is, therefore, of great public interest. It also provides a focus and appropriate point of interest within the open civic space. The location has a strong connection with the sculpture’s subject matter." Admiral Murray, who was born in Chichester in 1759, became a close friend of Nelson and captain of his fleet. He was later knighted and served as Mayor of Chichester in 1815. Admiral Sir George Murray did not participate in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, because he had to return to England in July 1805 to serve as the executor of his father-in-law's estate. Nelson refused to appoint a replacement for his position, famously stating it was "Murray or None". Had Murray been present, he would have served as Nelson's Chief of Staff equivalent directly aboard HMS Victory during the historic engagement. However, the district council's conservation and design officer raised concerns about the statue’s longterm suitability due to its material. They said deterioration associated with the resin used to make the statue would cause harm to the Conservation Area and setting of the Grade II* listed City Council Building. They also added that the statue appeared to have originally been built to be located within the grounds of a private dwelling and was less appropriate in a streetscape setting. Several members of the public also objected to the retention of the statue, deeming it an unwelcome nod to British imperialism. Christopher Downs said: "It is simply inappropriate to be raising new monuments to significant figures from Britain's imperial past in the 2020s." Meanwhile Brian Clark said: "This should be in the museum. Statues of Nelson relate to the imperialist past and have negative connotations. This is not the perception of modern Chichester that forward-looking residents want." The City Council may now apply for a further temporary extension or propose an alternative site for the statue. As members of The 1805 Club already know, we do not usually take sides in the often fractious debate about past attitudes that seem inappropiate to some today, such as the often inaccurate assumptions about Nelson's attitude to colonialism and slavery, and his duty as a serving officer of the Crown. Stephen Howarth's comment about this statue, made to the Editor sums up the situation nicely: "Seems sensible to me. The statue has already had a one-year extension over its original permitted period, and is not made of materials suitable for very long term external display. A pity that some critics see it as imperialistic. But it would actually be better off indoors."
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