YORK'S industrial heritage will this week be formally honoured with the erection of a 16ft sculpture.

The 14ft-wide steel arch will be assembled on site at Holgate Park - once the heart of York's carriage-building industry - later this week and will commemorate the importance of the carriage works and the craftsmanship of those who worked there.

Designed by artist Abigail Downer, following extensive research and consultation with local people, the arch weighs 20 tonnes and will glow at night thanks to fibre optics sandwiched through the steel and plate glass. Rail tracks, paved with a variety of materials, will run under the arch and the area will be sympathetically landscaped to give it a "railway" feel.

The £130,000 project, which is being supported by City of York Council, is part of a wider regeneration master plan for the area, which has included decontamination of the carriageway site, new roads, footpaths, cycleways, offices and houses.

Derek Gauld, principal development officer, City of York Council, said: "The arch has been a labour of love for many people, both in York and further afield, and I'm delighted that their hard work and efforts have finally come to fruition.

Local school children will be able to learn about the sculpture and the history of the area with the help of an education pack, which has been sponsored by the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust.

The arch will be formally opened during a special ceremony on Saturday, August 7, when representatives from ABB and the Transport and General Workers' Union will be present.

Updated: 08:54 Wednesday, June 30, 2004