Proposals for a public statue of the Beatles’ famous manager Brian Epstein have received planning permission.
Liverpool City Council has signed off on proposals to site a sculpture of the so-called “Fifth Beatle” adjacent to Whitechapel, east of the former Black’s store, in the city centre.
The development now has a three year period to be completed after the planning authority gave it the green light last week.
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The statue will be sculpted by designer Andy Edwards following a project to raise £100,000 to fund the commemorative piece.
Mr Edwards has created a number of iconic pieces in the city including the statue of the four members of The Beatles at the Pier Head, the Cilla Black sculpture on Mathew Street and the Bob Marley design on Jamaica Street.
The Epstein Statue will measure 1.94m and be cast from bronze by Castle Foundry of Liverpool.
The Brian Epstein Legacy Project, which has spearheaded the campaign to honour the music mogul’s legacy, first launched efforts to out up a statue in 2019 but progress came to a halt as the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the world.
The application was also supported by the Liverpool BID Company - an independent non-profit organisation that represents more than 1,500 businesses across the city centre.
In a message on the project’s website, Mr Epstein’s family said: “Brian was a modest and reserved man, but as a family we are in no doubt that he, alongside his brother Clive and his parents Queenie and Harry, would have been immensely touched by the consistent efforts to pay tribute to his contribution to The Beatles and to the City of Liverpool through this statue.”
Mr Epstein, who was born on Rodney Street to Jewish parents, was described by Sir Paul McCartney as “the fifth Beatle” after managing the band from 1962 until his death in 1967.
Having first met the group at the Cavern Club, Mr Epstein secured a deal with EMI to produce the Fab Four’s records and turned them into a clean-cut style.
Among the other acts Mr Epstein managed were Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black and Tommy Quickly.
A film about his life - Midas Man - is also due to be released later this year.
A study of the surrounding area will be undertaken before the statue can be sited to establish whether any utilities are present.
A date for installation has yet to be confirmed.
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