PLANS for a statue celebrating the sisters behind the famous nursery rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle Little star are set to be approved.

Colchester High Steward Sir Bob Russell submitted plans to install the statue, of Jane and Ann Taylor, in Colchester High Street, east of Pelham’s Lane.

Colchester Council planning committee will discuss the proposals at a meeting tomorrow with officers recommending the plans for approval.

Jane and Ann, who lived in nearby West Stockwell Street, published many poems for children in the 1800s.

One written by Jane, 1806’s The Star, is now known throughout the world as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Sir Bob has been fundraising for the £75,000 statue through his fortnightly heritage walks.

“Raising the money is going to be a huge challenge. In due course I shall be launching a major fundraising appeal,” he said.

“So far I have raised nearly £9,000, but with a planning approval for the statue, I can now go forward with a project which has planning consent.”

Sculpted by Mandy Pratt, who made a sculpture of footballer Peter Wright within a memorial garden at the development at Layer Road, the statue shows the sisters looking westwards - the direction they gazed from their attic bedrooms gazing at a twinkling star.

It will be dedicated to “The Children of the World” and Sir Bob and Mrs Pratt have agreed to donate the statue’s intellectual copyright to the Office of the Mayor of Colchester, for any future merchandising opportunities.

Each statue will be life size, rather than exaggerated as most statues are.

Sir Bob said: “My reasoning is that children will wish to be photographed with the statue, and thus I feel it best that the figures are of human scale.

“I believe the statue could become a tourist attraction, as is the statue of the Little Mermaid in Denmark.

“The nursery rhyme is sung around the world by children, in many languages.

“I hope the statue will be promoted along with the description of ‘Colchester, England’s Twinkle Star City’.”

“I would like to thank Essex County Highways for their co-operation in approving the location of the statue, and Colchester planners for their assistance.”