Our picturesque seaside town is being ruined by a huge eyesore dinosaur head – we hate it and want it gone
RESIDENTS of a pretty seaside town say the area is being ruined by a huge dinosaur head sticking out of one of the houses.
Locals of Cullen, Scotland hate the psychedelic sculpture, which can be seen in the surrounding streets and lights up at night.
The massive T-Rex head sits on top of the home of John Webb, a local antiques dealer, who put it up to “put a smile on peoples’ faces”.
However, he has seen backlash from the local community, with some labelling it as “tacky” and “a blight on the landscape”.
Shane George, 59, whose property looks directly out into the dinosaur’s gaping mouth said told the Daily Record: “I hate it.
“Someone else summed it up perfectly when they said ‘what was an eyesore of a building has been made even worse’.
“When it first went up I looked out the window and thought ‘what the hell is that?’
“I thought it was some kind of temporary promotion but it seems to be permanent. It’s coming up for a year now – and it even lights up at night.”
Nearby, Gail Slater, 61, also complained about the brightly coloured head, saying: “It’s an eyesore. I know it’s lovely for the kids, but is it necessary?”
Even tourists have taken against it, with one writing online: “As a recent visitor to Cullen, I was horrified to see an ugly dinosaur head plonked atop a building near the green.
“Cullen Bay is spectacular, but the view is completely destroyed by this vulgar, plastic monstrosity.
“How on earth this could be allowed is beyond belief.”
Now, the local council has weighed in, giving people in the town until next month to voice their opinions on the unusual artwork.
Planners will then take a decision on whether or not they order John to pull it down.
More than 30 objections have already been submitted, including on the grounds that the dinosaur head sits amongst a mix of category A, B and C listed buildings and within a conservation area.
However, for his part, John doesn’t see what all the fuss is about.
He is stunned that he has to get planning permission for the dinosaur, which has been nicknamed “Plannerwhosaurus Wrecks” by its supporters.
The head has been up for 10 months, but he insisted that it will only remain until he can sell it for “something around £10,000”.
John said: “It’s comedy, it’s nothing serious. We’re not making a statement. It’s just a bit of fun. I own the building and thought I’d put a bit of art on it to make people happy and put a smile on their faces.
“I’ve said to the council from day one that it’s not permanent. There’s a lot of over-bureaucracy.”
Undeterred, he has now launched a competition to name the T-Rex, which comes complete with one “gold leaf” tooth.
Jake Westlake, the artist behind the psychedelic design, added: “People have to go out of their way to take their kids to see it. It just adds a bit of colour and vibrancy to the place.
“But it looks a lot better at night when it’s illuminated – then it really comes to life.”
A spokesman for Moray Council, which was first made aware of the T Rex in May, 2022, said: “Dinosaur heads on a roof are unusual but where operational development occurs these require planning permission.”
A decision is expected to be made at the end of April.