A sculpture of the much-loved York-born actor Judi Dench has been proposed for a park in York.

Plans have been submitted to City of York Council to erect the sculpture, along with one of York cycle campaigner Dave Jackson, in Keble Park North in Bishopthorpe.

The sculptures, with bench and information board, are planned as part of a national celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The Manchester-based pro-cycling charity and lobby group Sustrans has received funding from the Department for Transport to install a new series of artworks along England’s National Cycling Network.

Sustrans has already erected 250 figures to date and the Bishopthorpe sculptures will form part of its latest Portrait Benches series of ‘Local Heroes’, which will be erected at 14 sites through which the National Cycle Network Travels.

Last year, Sustrans invited the public to have their say on who, in the last 70 years (alive or passed), these inspiring benches should represent. For York, the people chosen were Dame Judi Dench and Dave Jackson.

Dame Judi, 88, is an internationally renowned star of stage and screen. Born in Heworth, she attended Mount School in York, before an acting career that included many Shakespearean roles, M in the James Bond films and Queen Victoria in the 1997 movie Mrs Brown.

Dave Jackson, 75, has dedicated over 30 years of his working life to the construction and maintenance of cycleways including the York to Selby route where this portrait bench is proposed.

Born and Bred in York, the former Sustrans construction manager, remains a key cyclist to this day.

Planning documents says the installation consists of a timber bench, a portrait of each of the subjects cut out of sheet steel and an information board relating to the subjects and the cycle route.

The application said: “The Corten steel sheet used for the portraits is a favoured choice for public art exposed to the outdoor environment, ageing gracefully to a colour that complements the greenway location without requiring intensive maintenance.

“The information board is an aluminium structure with printed face, designed to be low maintenance and self-cleaning. The timber bench is constructed from oak, for durability and to suit the greenway environment.”

It added no habitats of protected species exist within 500m of the proposed site.

The application concluded: “The small scale of this development would not detract from the open character of the Green Belt, and it would enhance the existing facilities for outdoor recreation along the existing Solar System Way path route by providing a more accessible resting-point at a location with open views across the Green Belt land.

“The proposed development accords with national and local planning policy, enhancing the existing greenway for the public benefit whilst having no significant negative impacts.”