Edward Colston: Plans for statue of slave trader to stay at M Shed in Bristol submitted

The statue of the slave trader has been on display at the M Shed since June 2021. Credit: PA Images

Plans have been submitted for the statue of slave trader Edward Colston to remain at the M Shed Museum in Bristol permanently.

The statue has been at the M Shed museum on the harbourside since June 2021 after it was toppled on 7 June in 2020 during a Black Lives Matter protest.

After its retrieval from the harbour, staff at the M Shed cleaned the statue and stabilised the spray paint graffiti to prevent flaking.

Bristol residents were asked their views on where the statue should be following that momentous day.

Nearly 14,000 people responded to the survey, organised by the We Are Bristol History Commission.

80% of respondents agreed the best place for the statue was a museum.

A planning application has now been submitted for the statue - which was built on Colston Avenue originally - to remain permanently at the M Shed.

A new M Shed exhibition based on the theme of protest will also open in March 2024, featuring Colston's statue.