It is right that moves should be afoot to shift the statue of Sir Titus Salt from his hideaway in Lister Park into the village he created. The old boy has been tucked away for too long in the shadow of the Norman Arch, looking somewhat neglected among the trees and virtually unnoticed by passers-by.

This was a man who in his day had a huge amount of influence in and around Bradford, and that influence has lived on into the present in the way that Saltaire has become an important tourist attraction. Sir Titus's statue deserves to be part of that tourist experience so that visitors to the village can gaze upon the time-worn face of its founder in its rightful context.

However, although Saltaire is where Sir Titus rightly belongs, in which part of the village should he be situated? There is some merit in the plan to site him in the new Salts Mill Road, which is envisaged as an alternative "visitor gateway" to the village to take the traffic pressure off Victoria Road. Visible from the road, Sir Titus would be a welcoming symbol of Saltaire and might well encourage motorists to use that access route.

However, there is a strong case to be made for relocating him in the heart of the village, among the streets and community buildings which were created as a result of his Victorian vision. It is proper that the Saltaire Project Team should be seeking the views of local residents. Saltaire people should be allowed to decide on the final destination for Sir Titus's homecoming.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.