Statues with links to slavery should be allowed to STAY if 'counter-memorials' are installed alongside them, says Historic England chairman
- Sir Laurie Magnus appeared during an online policy exchange conference
- He suggested that authorities reflect on the events of last year during BLM rallies
- Bronze figure of 18th-century slave trader Edward Colston was toppled in Bristol
- It was then temporarily, and unofficially, replaced by a statue of demonstrator
Sir Laurie Magnus (pictured) is promoting a policy of retaining contested statues alongside 'counter-memorials'
The head of Historic England has suggested that statues with links to slavery should be allowed to stay in place if 'counter-memorials' are installed alongside them.
Sir Laurie Magnus, who has been chairman since 2013, appeared during an online Policy Exchange conference to promote a policy of retaining contested statues.
But he suggested that authorities reflect on the events of last year that saw the likeness of 18th-century slave trader Edward Colston toppled in Bristol.
It was temporarily, and unofficially, replaced by a statue of Black Lives Matter demonstrator Jen Reid - who had been photographed atop the newly empty plinth with her fist raised after Colston first fell.
Sir Laurie said that similar 'artistic installations might help' and 'would be a counter-memorial' to reinterpret monuments of those deemed to be controversial figures, according to The Telegraph.
He added: 'There are lots of ways to explain them. The one statue which has been removed, illegally, is the Colston statue.
'That was put back with a statue next to it, next to its pedestal. There was a 24-hour statue put net to the statue of one of the demonstrators who pulled it down.
'That might be a very good way of interpreting it.'
The move has since been backed by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden who said the policy could work if 'done in a meaningful way and not a tokenistic way'.
But added that cultural institutions should not be 'bullied' by 'campaign groups or the zeitgeist of curatorial thought'.
A spokeswoman for Historic England told MailOnline: 'As the government's adviser on the historic environment we have been working on the subject of contested heritage for some time.
'We believe that removing difficult or contentious parts of the historic environment damages our understanding of our collective past and feel the best way to approach statues and sites which have become contested is not to remove them but to provide thoughtful, long-lasting and powerful reinterpretation.
Last year the likeness of 18th-century slave trader Edward Colston (left) was toppled in Bristol. It was temporarily, and unofficially, replaced by a statue of Black Lives Matter demonstrator Jen Reid (right)
'New responses can involve re-interpretation, the adding of new layers and installations, new artworks, displays and counter-memorials, as well as education programmes.
'The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has set up a working group to produce national guidelines on how culture and heritage bodies can put this 'retain and explain' policy into practice.
'We will continue to collaborate with our colleagues across the heritage sector and with government on this important subject to help people understand on a deeper level the many layers of our shared past.'
Historic England is tasked with protecting the historic environment by preserving and listing historic buildings, scheduling ancient monuments, registering historic parks and gardens and issuing advice to authorities.
In 2019 to 2020 it received £87.1million in grant-in-aid from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, according to its official website.
The proposal comes after four people charged with criminal damage following the toppling of the Colston statue, worth £3,750, entered not guilty pleas on Tuesday.
It comes after four people charged with criminal damage following the toppling of the Colston statue (pictured last June), worth £3,750, entered not guilty pleas on Tuesday
Rhian Graham, 29, Milo Ponsford, 25, Jake Skuse, 36, and Sage Willoughby, 21 appeared before Bristol Crown Court.
Charges allege the four defendants, without lawful excuse, jointly and with others, damaged the statue of Colston, a listed monument belonging to Bristol City Council.
It is claimed that the defendants committed the offence 'intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged'.
All four defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge against them during the hearing at Bristol Crown Court.
They were bailed and a trial is due to start on December 13.
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