A MONUMENT or statue could be installed to commemorate Colchester’s city status.

Colchester Council says it is “exploring” the possibility of installing a monument to the newly-proclaimed city’s past and present.

The city’s High Steward Sir Bob Russell asked a full meeting of the council: “What plans does the council have for a permanent structure to commemorate city status?”

Council leader David King responded: “We are exploring this.

“I will say now we absolutely do want to have something which will commemorate the past and the present, and leave something of which we could be proud.

“My colleagues and I would look forward to talking to you and others about exactly how and what, and indeed when, as I think it’s something we would want to make an occasion of.

Speaking after the meeting, Sir Bob said: “Colchester missed the millennium, we missed the Queen’s golden jubilee and we missed the diamond jubilee - we didn’t do anything.

“So already this year I started to think about the platinum jubilee and that was before city status. So as soon as city status was announced, I thought ‘Please do something’.”

The council plans to host a series of events throughout the next year to celebrate city status.

A council report said the theme would be titled Our City Through Time.

It added: “This involved making the most of historic assets, celebrating the area’s different eras by holding themed events.”

Colchester is set to officially become a city on November 23 when the letters patent - a Royal document written on parchment - is presented to Colchester mayor Tim Young.

Colchester has had a mixed relationship with statues.

Its modernistic Boudicca statue at North Station drew criticism when it was first installed and in 2020, the council shelved plans to build a 7.8m tall elephant structure on one of Colchester’s busiest roundabouts at the Avenue of Remembrance.

In 2017, the installation of a £75,000 sculpture depicting a tall, walking woman also caused a stir.

The 7ft statue, crafted by sculptor Sean Henry, was installed outside Fenwick department store alongside Man With Cup, which stands at 4ft 6ins.

Sir Bob is raising funds for another statue of the Taylor sisters who lived in West Stockwell Street and who are responsible for the nursery rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.