New steel man statue planned for roundabout near Meadowhall, as site sought for 31m tall sculpture

Work has begun on a smaller version of the statue, standing at around four metres including the plinth, which it is hoped can be unveiled in 2025.

The new artwork would be the little brother to the huge 31-metre-tall (including the plinth) steel man, which is envisaged as Yorkshire’s answer to the Angel of the North in Gateshead.

It is hoped the unveiling of a smaller statue will help kickstart a new drive to finally build the full-sized sculpture, for which a site and funding is still being sought.

It is 16 years since the artist Steve Mehdi, a former steelworker, initially designed the striking steel man sculpture, which it was hoped would replace the iconic Tinsley towers, demolished that year, 2008, as a major new landmark visible to drivers passing on the M1.

Progress appeared to have stalled but now a new website has been launched in an effort to revive public interest in the project, which has been renamed the Yorkshire Icon.

Vince Middleton, who is leading the project, said: “This is about creating an iconic landmark at the entrance to South Yorkshire as a symbol of pride and resilience for the region.

“The sculpture will stand as a tribute to the region’s industrial heritage of producing coal and steel, and as a mark of confidence in the area’s manufacturing sector today and into the future.”

Thousands of people have already added their names to a 2.4 metre tall Heart of Steel sculpture at Meadowhall, which has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

The heart sculpture was initially intended to sit within the chest of the giant steel man, but Mr Middleton said the latest plan is for it to stand beneath the man as part of a new visitor attraction which could include a viewing platform.

Questions have been asked about what has happened to the money raised so far for the project, including funds generated from the Heart of Steel.

The new website includes a breakdown of income and expenditure to date.

The total income since 2014, it states, stands at £493,109, the bulk of which, £374,865, has come from the Heart of Steel, with £80,986 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £33,750 in donations from businesses accounting for most of the remaining money.

To date, according to the website, £449,072 has been spent, including £108,671 on salaries, £105,638 on design and development, £50,803 on professional fees, and £41,650 on rent.

Mr Middleton said the project now receives 10 per cent of the funds raised from BHF’s Heart of Steel campaign, and he expects the total income for this year to be considerably less than £10,000.

The total cost of the project is estimated at £3.5 million, with donations being sought and plans for a sponsorship scheme where people could pay to have their names featured at the visitor attraction.

It’s been estimated that the statue and visitor centre could attract up to 460,000 people a year, generating more than £10m for the local economy.

Mr Middleton says the small-scale statue is being made for free by a local business and it is hoped that it can be erected during 2025, subject to planning permission being secured.

The site for the full-sized statue has yet to be determined, and Mr Middleton is keen to hear from anyone with suggestions of a potential location.

The hope is that it can be erected close to Meadowhall but he says that anywhere near to the M1, M18 or A1, where it is easily accessible and will be seen by passing motorists, ideally near to existing facilities like a garden centre, would be suitable.

For more information about the Yorkshire Icon project, including how you can get involved, visit: https://www.yorkshire-icon.com/