Opponents of a planned beach sculpture in Borth have vowed to carry on their campaign against it.

A meeting of local residents objecting to Robert Davies’s proposed Tree sculpture in an inter-tidal area of Borth beach took place at the Friendship Inn in Borth on Tuesday, 2 October.

Rychard Carrington, of the Borth Tree Protest website, said: “An average of 20 people turn up for these irregular meetings for active objectors, to which all are welcome.

"Resolve has been strengthened by anger at the success of Mr Davies’s appeal against Ceredigion County Council’s rejection of his planning application, and at the undemocratic nature of the planning process with regards to public land.

“Mr Davies’s representation of objectors as a small minority, despite over 1,000 signatures and the evident strength of feeling in the village, has increased our determination.”

Dr Carrington said that “many of the most active objectors were prominent contributors to Borth community life”, and “many were frequent visitors to the part of the beach scheduled for being built upon”.

Taliesin-based artist Mr Davies appealed against a Ceredigion council planning committee decision to reject the planned metal cast oak tree sculpture despite the scheme being given the green light by the authority’s planning officers last year.

The scheme, which was backed in a planning report by planning officers, received 19 letters of support, including from Ceredigion’s AM and MP – but attracted criticism from some local residents.

Concerns were raised about the detrimental effect the sculpture would have in a Special Landscape Area, the safety of swimmers and surfers, parking problems caused by sightseers, insurance and the eventual removal of the sculpture.

But, following Mr Davies’s appeal, the Welsh Planning Inspectorate overturned the council’s rejection – giving the scheme the green light.

Mr Davies has said that plans for the sculpture remain in the early stages.