THIS is the new sculpture which is to be built in the grounds of the new Selby War Memorial Hospital.

The sculpture, which will be on a pedestrian island in the centre of the new complex, has been designed and will be made by Mark Renn.

It was chosen by a panel of hospital workers and community members after an open competition. The 3.3 metre-high bronze sculpture will be mounted on concrete plinths and consists of three pieces of a penny which can be seen as a whole from one viewpoint when leaving the building.

It refers to the original hospital in two ways – because the original subscription for fundraising by the population of Selby was one penny per month, and because the sculpture bears the date of the original hospital’s opening, in 1927.

Jayne Brown, chief executive of NHS North Yorkshire and York, said the new hospital would bring healthcare in Selby up to date, while retaining a sense of the hospital’s history.

She said: “We know the strength of feeling in the town about remembering the efforts of those who paid for the original War Memorial Hospital, and we wanted to do something to reflect this. “The sculpture will ensure that we can continue to remember the history of the original building as we move into our brand new facilities.

Council leader Mark Crane said: “This sculpture is a great way of ensuring we remember the hard work of the people of Selby in building the original War Memorial Hospital. We’ve been able to build on this important legacy, but this has only been achieved because of our innovative partnership with the local NHS. Together are able to bring a new hospital to the town of Selby that will benefit the whole district.”

Earlier this year, a public vote decided that the name of the hospital should not be changed to the Selby Community Hospital.

A spokesman for Selby District Council said the sculpture would be funded through NHS money and although they could not confirm an exact cost, the artist’s contract was for £20,000, including VAT.