Campaigners ‘dismayed’ as Angel of the North listing bid fails

In January, the government approved a £250 million project to ease congestion on the A1, which would include widening the section of road in Gateshead next to Antony Gormley’s iconic 1990s artwork.

The campaign group said it was ‘dismayed’ that Historic England did not even undertake a full listing assessment for the sculpture. It argued that the addition of an extra lane on both sides of the A1 by the angel – plus the erection of ‘very large’ signage gantries – would disrupt views.

‘In seeking listing for the Angel of the North we wanted to underline its importance as an icon not only of the North East, but of the UK as a whole,’ said Twentieth Century Society caseworker Joe Mathieson.

‘Alongside Sir Antony Gormley, we are worried about what the A1 motorway development will do to views of this impressive sculpture, and hope that Highways England modifies their scheme to lessen the detrimental impact.’

The Twentieth Century Society also said it was worried about the speed of Historic England’s rejection for listing, as it suggests that any building or sculpture under 30 years old can only be listed if is in direct risk of destruction.

The society’s director, Catherine Croft, said: ‘We had an almost instantaneous rejection from Historic England, which we are concerned about as we thought it was a very strong contender for listing.

It was an almost instantaneous rejection from Historic England

‘If a building or sculpture under 30 years old is to be taken forward by Historic England, it has to be both outstanding and under threat – and we were told that a threat to the setting alone, as opposed to demolition of the structure itself, was not enough to trigger a full listing assessment on their part.’

Croft added: ‘We appreciate that with limited staff resources [Historic England] need to prioritise, but once key views are blocked there is often no going back.

‘It’s not just sculptures which are vulnerable in this way, it means that however fantastic a building might be, it won’t be possible to get it listed if a massive new development is proposed right next door.’

The Angel of the North was built between 1994 and 1998 by Gormley and structural engineer Arup for Gateshead Council.

A spokesperson for Highways England said: ‘Our approach throughout the development of the scheme is to minimise the effect on the landscape and to mitigate any impact, particularly around the Angel of the North.  

‘The final design of the scheme is still being developed and we will continue to engage with Gateshead Council and all interested parties – including around the location of gantries – to provide the safest outcome for drivers.’

A Historic England spokesperson said: ‘Setting, and any threat to setting, is not part of the criteria considered during a listing application, and while we may take group value and contextual interest into account, it is not a deciding factor in its own right.’

She added: ‘We understand concerns about the potential impact changes to the area surrounding the Angel of the North may have on this important sculpture.’

Angel of the North, as viewed from the A1 (looking north):