A PLANNING proposal has been submitted to the council, requesting permission for a statue commemorating a local cat who won hearts in Edinburgh’s West End.
Hugo the West End cat was beloved in the area until his untimely death almost two years ago due to a collision with a car.
His death sparked a campaign for the law surrounding vehicle collisions with cats to be changed.
The statue, requested by “members of the local community” would memorialise the friendly feline, and would stand proudly on the wall at one of his favourite spots.
In May 2023 Hugo, an Arabian Mau owned by resident Jane Rutherford, was struck by a car that failed to stop, and was left injured in a nearby garden.
The cat had become a local treasure, often wandering the streets and being looked after by hundreds of residents and business owners.
Hugo was luckily found by a neighbour who took him to the vet, but Ms. Rutherford was later forced to put him down due to the injuries he sustained.
Thoughts of a statue were mentioned by West End residents at the time, but now a planning proposal has been put in place, requesting a bronze immortalisation of the moggy complete with its own plaque.
In what could be the city’s next Greyfriars Bobby, Hugo would forever sit on his favourite spot on the wall at Williams Street.
The planning statement states that this would “continue to bring people of the West End together and encourage a sense of community” and “increase footfall for the businesses in William Street by attracting and acting as a point of interest for visitors”.
Hugo is described as “gregarious, fearless around people and mostly friendly”.
It also states that they are working with sculptor Alan Beattie Herriot of Endeavor Art Studios who has worked on pieces such as the Robert Louis Stevenson Sculpture in Colinton.
If it goes ahead, the project will be funded by donations from locals.
