Outrage in Walsall as council spend £35,000 on corgi statues for Queen tribute

Walsall Council forked retired £35,000 of payer wealth connected the corgi statues which person gone connected show successful Walsall Arboretum arsenic it celebrates its 150th anniversary

Walsall Council has travel nether occurrence for splashing retired a whopping £35,000 of public funds connected 2 corgi statues to honour Queen Elizabeth II.

The chromatic sculptures person been unveiled astatine Walsall Arboretum arsenic portion of its 150th-anniversary celebrations, but the determination has sparked outrage among locals who judge the wealth could person been amended spent, particularly arsenic the assembly is looking to chopped £20m from its budget this year.

With council taxation up by 4.99%, residents are questioning the worth of the 5ft agelong corgi statues, with galore suggesting determination are much pressing issues that request addressing.

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Tracey Wilkins, 55, from Blakenall, Walsall, commented: "I similar them, but it's a spot controversial, isn't it? " and added, "£35,000 the assembly spent connected these sculptures. It could person conscionable been amended spent elsewhere."

She highlighted concerns specified arsenic potholes, fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour, and failing precocious streets, saying, "There's conscionable amended ways to walk £35,000 successful Walsall."

Daniel Taylor, 32, from Ryecroft, Walsall, said: "They're nice, it looks similar they did bully enactment connected them. I'm not truly definite what they are for though." He suggested that a plaque mightiness assistance clarify their purpose.

Jonathan Edia, a researcher astatine the TaxPayers' Alliance, criticised the expenditure, stating: "Local taxpayers are sick of pointless nationalist artworks." He acknowledged the bully intentions down the sculptures but pointed retired that they connection nary comfortableness to residents facing work cuts. He said: "Walsall Council should get its priorities successful order"

Writing connected Facebook different section nonmigratory commented: "I could possibly recognize a statue of the precocious Queen, but her dogs? Spending connected thing similar this erstwhile services are being chopped is ridiculous." Another asked: "Have they truly not got thing amended to walk people's wealth on?"

Another added: "Could person enactment that wealth to carnal shelters and rescues that afloat and not coping."

However, immoderate locals person praised the tribute to the precocious Queen and her beloved corgis arsenic "beautiful", suggesting it whitethorn gully visitors to the scenic arboretum.

Claire Williams, aged 43, from Walsall, remarked: "They're lovely, aren't they? Just look astatine them - they're a spot large for regular corgis, but they're amazing. I saw them erstwhile they were unveiled, they look truly good."

Jane Gough, 62, from Caldmore, Walsall, commented: "They're great. It's a large mode to commemorate the precocious Queen. She loved corgis. She adored them. It's specified a bully mode to retrieve her memory."

The arboretum has humanities value for Her Majesty, with her archetypal authoritative Royal sojourn to Walsall taking spot determination successful 1962. The person of Walsall Council, Councillor Garry Perry, was contiguous astatine the unveiling of the statues, which helium described arsenic a 'real milestone' for the community.

He stated during the event: "We've been readying this ever since the decease of the precocious Queen and we wanted to person a fitting tribute to her beingness and her work to the country, and this is what came from that. She was precise overmuch a person of her royal dogs and we felt that that lends itself good to our greenish spaces, peculiarly astatine the Arboretum."