The campaign to keep the 13ft Cambridge Don sculpture continues as owners argue they do not require planning permission for it.

The 4 metre tall bronze statue depicting the late Prince Phillip was installed 10 years ago without planning permission. This led to the Council ordering its removal in March earlier this year.

The sculpture has been disowned by its alleged artist, Pablo Atchugarry who denied being the “author” of the work.

Atchugarry claimed he was “really astonished, worried and disappointed” at the misrepresentation of his work, calling the accusation of his relationship to the sculpture “an abuse”.

The city council issued an order for the statue to be removed as it was installed without planning permission on land outside Charter House, Hills Road, Cambridge. However, the Unex Group, who commissioned the work, has requested an appeal.

The sculpture was previously described by a council planner to be “possibly the poorest quality work,” with one art critic labelling it as “detritus masquerading as public art”.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service stated that Unex, who paid roughly £150,000 for it, debated needing planning permission as the sculpture is not fixed to the ground.

Unex’s legal representative argued that the statue was “simply dropped in place and is able to be lifted up,” thus “cannot as a matter of law be considered development”. The statue has since been relocated to the corner of Hills Road and Norwich Street to “illustrate the point that it is not a building, but quintessentially a moveable object”.

Chair of the Unex Group, Bill Gredley, also came to support the statue, calling it a “spectacular piece of art,” contradicting criticisms of the sculpture.

Despite Unex’s appeal, a city council legal representative has argued the “erection of the statue, including its associated plinth” can be considered as development without permission in a conservation area.

Katie Porrer, a ward councillor, stated the statue “caused real concern for residents” and was “even more concerned” to hear the statue lacks secure substructure.