9/11 Artwork on Potters Fields Park

Members of the Shad Thames Residents' Association and other local residents are invited to an open meeting to discuss the controversial proposal for a 9/11 commemorative sculpture on Potters Fields Park next to City Hall.

Southwark's planning committee voted to grant planning permission for the artwork - which uses steel recovered from the World Trade Center in New York - just before Christmas but the Potters Fields Park Management Trust has not agreed to the installation of the structure.

Some local residents have received invitations from the 9/11 London Project to attend a meeting at Southwark Council's offices 21 February

The September 11 UK Families Support Group have said that they "will never be happy with the use of World Trade Center artefacts whatever their guise", that "our loved ones died amongst the very wreckage that the 9/11 London Project Foundation plan to erect", and "the 8.5 metre tall image screams terrorism and brutality and we fear it will become a focus for a variety of demonstrations".

The view of the Shad Thames Residents' Association is that there should be no structures on the park which would impede the full use of the green space which the Park provides, not only for local people, but also for the many visitors to the park.

As STRA needs to be sure that it represents local residents, it is inviting people to share their views at this open meeting.

One of the aims of this event is to mandate the STRA representative on the Potters Fields Park Management Trust board to continue to reflect the wishes of local people on this important issue.