by Graham Tutthillgtutthill@thekmgroup.co.uk

People are being asked for their views on plans for a huge Kent Invicta statue on the cliffs above Dover, due to be built to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Dubbed the Pride of the South, the statue will be 30 metres high, consisting of a metal frame with galvanised metal panels forming a skin. It will stand on a concrete plinth with embossed decorative panels depicting Dover’s military history.

It will not be floodlit, but the outline will have LED lighting.

Kevin Dougall, chairman of the Kent Invicta Charity which is behind the scheme, said: “The Kent Invicta statue will not only provide a powerful reminder of the county of Kent’s rich and proud heritage, and its vitally important role as the gateway to Britain, but it can also provide inspiration for future generations, serving as a symbol for ambition, optimism and self belief.”

It will stand to the west of Dover, above Farthingloe, on land donated by China Gateway International, and will be visible from the English Channel and as far as France, as well as on the approach to Dover along the A20.

"Providing a dramatic sense of arrival, the proposed statue will form a cornerstone of the county’s celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee,” said Mr Dougall.

But in order to complete it in jubilee year, a planning application will have to be submitted this spring.

Details of how to get directly involved in the project are set out at an exhibition which is being staged at Dover Discovery Centre today (Thursday), tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday.

Full story in the Dover Mercury, Thursday March 1.

Keep up-to-date with news via the Dover Mercury Facebook page and Twitter.