Permission sought to retain Lord Nelson statue

Permission is being sought to keep a statue featuring Lord Nelson in place in a West Sussex city for another year.

The statue of the famous naval commander alongside his friend Sir George Murray was erected in 2020 outside Murray's former home in North Street in Chichester.

Planning permission was given for five years and an extension is being sought from Chichester District Council while "allowing time to decide on, and arrange, a permanent placement for it".

The statue, by sculptor Vincent Gray, was awarded a Public and Community Award by Sussex Heritage Trust in 2022.

George Murray was born in Chichester in 1759 and joined the Royal Navy when he was 11, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A plaque next to the sculpture reads: "He rose swiftly through the ranks and first served under Admiral Nelson in 1801 when the two men became close friends. Murray was Nelson's Captain of the Fleet but had to miss the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 as he was sorting out the estate of his late father-in-law.

"Had he been there, it was likely that he would have been at Nelson's side when he died, rather than Hardy," the plaque reads.

George Murray became Mayor of Chichester in 1815, the year he was knighted, and died in the city in 1819.

Horatio Nelson led the Royal Navy to one of its most famous victories at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.

He was killed during the battle aged 47 after being shot by a French sniper.

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