New site for Bury St Edmunds metal trees still being sought after they were spotted 'dumped and allowed to rot' in Nowton Park

A council is still looking for a new location for controversial metal trees which once stood in a Bury St Edmunds street.

The £20,000 stainless steel sculptures stood in St Andrew’s Street South for about a year but were taken down in the summer of 2016 after being hit by vehicles.

In 2017, the then St Edmundsbury Council said they were looking for a suitable location for the trees, which were funded through contributions from the developer of the arc shopping centre specifically for public art, but attracted some criticism.

In this week's Bury Free Press letters page, reader Alice Waterman said the sculptures had been spotted in Nowton Park.

She said: "I was very surprised to see the arc puff balls dumped and being allowed to rot in Nowton Park

"What are the plans for these beautiful items?

"It’s just a great shame that no bollards were put round the bases to protect them from the inevitable traffic damage."

A West Suffolk Council spokesman said: “The metal trees, which were paid for by the developers of the arc are made of stainless steel which means they don’t rust.

"Following their repair, they have been stored while we looked at where they could be installed near the arc which is privately owned or at an alternative prominent public location where they won’t be damaged and which is capable of having significant foundations to bear the weight.

"We are still looking at possible solutions."

Read more: All the latest news from Bury St Edmunds

Read more: All the latest news from Suffolk