The public's least favourite design for a public artwork to commemorate the Suffragette who died after running out in front of the King’s horse at the Epsom Derby 100 years ago has been selected as the winner, it has been emerged.

It was announced last Thursday that Mary Branson’s concrete ellipse design has been selected as the piece of art to be erected on a roundabout in Epsom Downs, to commemorate Emily Davison and other women who have achieved equality and votes for women.

Ms Branson's design features a cross beneath the ellipse, forming the symbol for women, and it would be aligned so that once a year, at dusk on June 8, the day Davison died at the Old Cottage Hospital in Alexandra Road, Epsom, the setting sun would appear held in its centre. 

A bench would be erected next to the roundabout, allowing people to sit and view the sunset.

But Epsom Council finally revealed today, following repeated requests from this newspaper, that Ms Branson’s design received the least number of votes in the public vote held at the Ebbisham Centre, at the end of May, in which residents were invited to pick their favourite of the six shortlisted entries, which the council said would "form part of the final decision".

Out of the 376 votes cast, Ms Branson received just 30. 

Emma Dallyn received 119, Lucy Quinnell 116, Nick Bates 96, Tony Smith 52 and Seamus Cuddihy 46.

On June 3 Epsom Council suddenly announced, in a statement headlined Photo Finish,  that the naming of the winning design, due to take place the following day at the Ebbisham Centre, was to be postponed "as the two favoured designs, as voted for by the public and deliberated by a panel of judges, are too close to call".

The judging panel for the project, consisting of Councillor Clive Woodbridge, a representative of UCA Epsom and two Surrey artists, had shortlisted Mary Branson and Emma Dallyn’s designs as the two finalists.

Coun Woodbridge said today the public vote "was always going to be a guide" which the panel "did take seriously".

He said the panel never intended to "choose a top two" based on the most popular designs in the public vote and said that they believed Ms Branson’s design "was a very strong candidate" and that the image submitted for her entry "did not do it justice".

Coun Woodbridge said: "In one of the cases, Emma Dallyn, we were very much with the public but we had some questions.

"In Mary Branson’s case we liked the actual concept and the narrative was something we felt was very strong, but the visual image submitted didn’t match it.

"They both had strengths in different areas and we couldn’t decide between the two so we had both artists back and both put up a very strong case for their designs."

Sarah Dewing, manager of the Emily Davison Memorial Project, said both finalists were "very good", but the judging panel was swayed by Ms Branson because she has "previous experience of delivering a public art project".

A council spokesman also said that the public vote was "never intended to be the final decision".

He said: "This is why the voting was not highlighted - it was only one element of the process."

And he insisted that the public artwork project was not a council initiative, but is being driven by the people in the community and the council is merely facilitating the process.

The spokesman added: "Clive Woodbridge, as an elected councillor, has been a member of the group involved in this project and has championed it within the council. 

"The [project] group is made up from various individuals from the community, including councillors Jean Smith and Anna Jones.

"The memorial and associated works will have to be funded from subscription and grants."

 

RELATED STORIES:

Suffragette artwork winner announced

Suffragette artwork announcement due amid criticism of selection process