Malvern Town Council’s extravagance - costing the taxpayer a wasteful £3,800 - for large Malvern letters, Hollywood style, could have been located anywhere in Rosebank Gardens.

Placing the letters in the centre of the Jenny Lind commemorative site is an act of cultural vandalism. 

READ MORE: Jenny Lind sculpture will be moved to make way for Malvern sign

The benighted Mayor and those councillors who voted to move the Jenny Lind sculpture and install the letters shows disrespect and insults the distinguished Swedish Jenny Lind Society, descendants of Jenny Lind in Britain and private sponsors in Malvern. 

The sculpture was unveiled last October by Dr Inga Lewenhaupt, from Stockholm.

Originally, council voted overwhelmingly to support my Notice of Motion for a Jenny Lind Commemorative site seconded by Neil Morton, then mayor. 

Thrusting the Hollywood style sign into my original design desecrates the integrity of the commemorative site. 

The council’s Disneyesque folly has no meaning or significance. 

Visitors know where they are, and come to Malvern for the hills, countryside, and outstanding musical and literary connections.

People visit Rosebank for the gardens, views and sculptures by Walenty Pytel, and other meaningful artistic works. 

I have resigned as a councillor for Priory Ward after 12 years service, having delivered major works of art in Rosebank Gardens. 

I lost faith in the hierarchy at Malvern Town Council, with their continual machinations, and failure to deliver projects voted for by council.

Peter Smith
Former elected councillor
Malvern Town Council