Thatcher statue goes into place

The controversial bronze statue of Margaret Thatcher is being erected on St Peter’s Hill in Grantham this morning.

It will be officially unveiled at a later date.

Last year South Kesteven District Council said it would not underwrite the unveiling of the statue at a cost of £100,000 and that any official unveiling would have to be privately funded.

The plinth was installed two years ago but further progress has been delayed by the Covid pandemic.

Supporters hope the statue will increase the town’s tourism offer and visitor numbers.

Graham Jeal, of the GCHA, said: “There has long been a conversation in Grantham about a more permanent memorial to the country’s first female Prime Minister who was an enormous political figure, both nationally and internationally.

“The delivery of the memorial has secured the museum for the next few years and has helped the museum finances survive the Covid pandemic. It is recognised that the full spectrum of views exist in Grantham about the legacy of Margaret Thatcher and an exhibition inside the museum illustrates this.”

The Leader of South Kesteven District Council, Cllr Kelham Cooke, said: “This memorial statue of the late Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven will be a fitting tribute to a truly unique political figure.

“Margaret Thatcher will always be a significant part of Grantham’s heritage. She and her family have close ties with Grantham. She was born, raised and went to school here.

“It is, therefore, appropriate that she is commemorated by her home town, and that the debate that surrounds her legacy takes place here in Grantham. We must never hide from our history, and this memorial will be a talking point for generations to come.

“We hope that this memorial will encourage others to visit Grantham and to see where she lived and visit the exhibition of her life in Grantham Museum.

“This is about inspiring, educating and informing people about someone who represents a significant part of Grantham’s heritage.”

Margaret Thatcher (nee Roberts) was born and raised in Grantham and attended Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, before gaining a scholarship to study at Oxford University.

Her father Alfred, a grocer, was Mayor from 1945 to 1946.

Video: RS Mortiss

Plans to build the 3.2 metre high statue on Parliament Square, in London, were previously rejected by Westminster Council due to the fear of it being targeted by protestors. It was then offered to Grantham.

Lincolnshire Police had recommended the statue by Douglas Jennings is placed on a “sufficiently high plinth” and within easy view to deter attackers.

A Westminster council planning document suggested the proposed Margaret Thatcher Statue had come too soon after Baroness Thatcher’s death in 2013..

The Metropolitan Police also raised concerns over possible civil disobedience but this did not form part of the planning application.

But Grantham Community Heritage Association (GCHA), which runs the town’s museum, said it was a “fitting tribute to a unique political figure”.