Bypass statue idea backed
A grand plan to put statues of a town's most famous people on roundabouts along its new £95 million bypass has received town council backing.
Newtown's new bypass is scheduled to be completed in spring next year, and a number of people have expressed views about how to mark the occasion, or how to make it different to other new stretches of road.
A proposal has been put forward by businessman Peter Webber, who owns Cellpath, and Ann Evans, secretary of Newtown Local History Society.
The pair are calling for famous faces like social reformer Robert Owen, Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones, fashion designer Laura Ashley and industrialist David Davies on roundabouts along the bypass route.
They took their idea to Newtown Town Council on Monday, giving a presentation to councillors.
The council gave their endorsement to the idea, however were quick to point out no council funds or tax payers money was planned to be used on the project after a number of comments were posted online.
Town clerk Ed Humphreys said: "The council endorsed the idea, but no money from the council will be used for it, it will be privately funded.
"But the council has endorsed the idea."
The idea is for companies to back the plan and for it to be privately.
Mr Webber has been calling for the idea for a while, and said: "If you go along the Shrewsbury bypass you wouldn't know where you are, but if there was a statue of Charles Darwin there you would think, I must be near his birth place.
"That is what I think would make the Newtown bypass much better."
The pair will now try and seek Welsh Government approval for the idea.
A number of ideas for what the bypass should be called have been muted, including Ffordd Robert Owen way and the Brimmon Oak Bypass.
The Welsh Government said it did not named new trunk roads, however would consider ideas put forward.
