They're gonna need a bigger bunker! Row erupts over giant fake shark erected on crazy golf course without planning permission
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By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
A planning row has erupted after a huge fake shark was erected on a crazy golf course without permission amid claims it unfairly depicts the fish as 'criminals'.
The 31ft-long shark that hangs from a gallows at a mini golf course is at the heart of the row amid complaints that it is a 'symbol of slaughter and destruction'.
The fibreglass beast became a fixture on the Brighton seafront after Jumble Rumble Adventure Golf installed the feature last August.
The crazy golf firm applied for retrospective planning permission last month; however, furious locals may scupper their hopes of keeping the shark.
A resident of the Green Party city lodged a complaint on August 29, complaining that the structure was 'very offensive' to sharks.
'I would like to submit an objection to the Large Shark being held up on a gallows,' they wrote.
'It is ugly, but also it's very offensive to have a marine animal being depicted as a criminal having been slaughtered for no reason.
'Sharks are a vital form of marine life and should be protected if we are to regain healthy seas, which can help mend our planet.
The 31ft-long plastic shark that hangs from a gallows at a mini golf course is at the heart of the row amid complaints that it is a 'symbol of slaughter and destruction'
The fibreglass beast became a fixture on the Brighton seafront after Jumble Rumble Adventure Golf installed the feature last August
'There is the most amazing story of our sea rewilding and returning huge amounts of different species, and it therefore feels completely inappropriate to have a symbol of slaughter and destruction in a children's play area such as mini golf.
'We need to educate our kids to protect and fight to preserve our wildernesses and seas. Not to hunt and destroy such a vital species in our ecosystem.'
Others also complained on social media that it would 'not [be] very nice for the amount of vegetarians' in the city.
'The shark is a revolting, grisly thing; celebrating the torture of a creature on a rack is vile and not a good look at all,' another quipped.
However, some residents jumped to the shark's defence, saying it was 'a fuss over nothing' and that there was 'bigger fish to fry in Brighton'.
A heritage assessment – viewable online – notes that the shark is 'clearly visible' from the beach, Madeira Drive and Madeira Terrace.
But it found that with Brighton seafront historically being used for recreational activities such as mini golf, the new additions fit well with the area.
It reads: 'The works are therefore considered to represent contemporary additions associated with the established recreational use of this part of Brighton's lower seafront without detracting from the significance of the East Cliff Conservation Area or the setting and significance of nearby designated heritage assets.'
The plans also passed biodiversity checks as it is within an existing site and so has no substantial environmental impact.
Brighton & Hove City Council will decide on the application on a later date.
The Daily Mail has approached Jumble Rumble Adventure Golf for comment.
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