A PROMINENT piece of public art has received a lukewarm reaction on its arrival in Penn Hill.

The controversial triangular structure at the Penn Hill crossroads is inspired by the idea of water carrying fragments of rock and also the area’s road footprint.

But the feature sculpture has been greeted with widespread apathy in Penn Hill, its relevance and value for money being seriously questioned.

Lee Gover, from Mitchell’s estate agents, said: “It’s a bit of an eyesore and seems a waste of money, to be honest.

“It’s probably not the best location for it and the community isn’t impressed with it.”

Mr Gover added the money would have been better spent on local schools.

Nick Carey, manager at Bankes bar in Penn Hill, said customers had been “less than complimentary” about the structure.

“The last thing we need these days is another block of concrete!” he added.

Richard Cross, from Clearwater Real Estate, said it resembled “a lump of concrete that fell of the back of a lorry”.

Poole council stressed the Penn Hill project was funded by a central government grant and not from council tax.

The budget for the purchasing, manufacturing and installation of the artwork was £25,000.

A second flat piece, incorporating a tree, has already been installed at the junction of Bournemouth Road and Archway Road.

The granite structure, part of the Public Art initiative, is the work of artist Simon Watkinson, who said his inspiration was rock being deposited at turns “much as objects are in a river”.

Marked in the surface of the sculpture are lines indicating the road footprint of the area, which has been consistent over centuries.