A KELVEDON artist has unveiled an almost otherworldly sculpture within in a new housing development in the village.

Artist Matthew Lane Sanderson’s sculpture ‘The Meeting Maple’ has been revealed to the public in a housing development by Cala Homes North Home Counties.

The towering silver-coloured sculpture looks almost like it resembles a tree from an alien planet and Matthew’s design won a public consultation in 2021 which let the local community pick from three different designs.

The art takes up the village green space within the 238-home development in Kelvedon.

Braintree and Witham Times: Unique - The final sculpture was chosen by locals and there were three possible artwork ideasUnique - The final sculpture was chosen by locals and there were three possible artwork ideas (Image: PR)

 ‘The Meeting Maple’ is inspired by the natural surroundings of the area, Kelvedon’s rich history and artefacts that have been discovered in the area.

The artist from Kelvedon is delighted the artwork has finally been unveiled.

He said: “I’m so happy to see my design finally come to life and be ready for the public’s use.

“Often, public art is simply seen as decorative, but if features are designed with local relevance, engagement with the community, and well-built with obvious effort, then people take ownership of them, care for them and they become part of that place.

“This area is full of rich history which I wanted to draw upon in my design, and I’m so glad local residents felt the same when they voted for it.”

The marketing manager for Cala Homes North Home Counties, Leah de Lisle Barrow, said it has a been wonderful twoyear process for the design to come to life.

She said: “Working with Matthew over the past two years to see his wonderful design come to life has been a pleasure.

“This new sculpture is not only a beautiful feature of Aylett’s Green development but also a functional meeting point that will serve the needs of the residents that live here; we know it’s bound to be popular.

Braintree and Witham Times: New homes - An image of two properties in Aylett's Green New homes - An image of two properties in Aylett's Green (Image: PR)

“It’s also important for Cala Homes to really invest in the communities we become a part of.

“I find it really heartening to see so many people of all ages in Kelvedon take the opportunity to have their say in the sculpture design, we can’t wait to see the residents of Aylett’s Green make use of ‘The Meeting Maple’.”

The housing development contains a selection of 1-bedroom apartments, and many different two to five bedroom houses.

To find out more, head to tinyurl.com/rp7t7c7c.