BRONZE birds and a stainless steel dish will adorn the side of a landmark building in Worcester City centre.

Shoppers will soon be greeted by the bold design that will be installed on the corner of Boston Tea Party, Broad Street, after Worcester City Council’s planning committee voted in favour of the artwork.

Concerns had been raised by Edward Bird, a licensed swan ringer and volunteer at Bishop’s Wood Swan Rescue, that the stainless steel dish could confuse birds and result in bird strikes. However, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and the city council’s ecology officer said that they did not believe that would be an issue.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) also moved to address Mr Bird’s concerns.

It is not known when work will start on the sculpture, influenced by Royal Worcester Porcelain and created by artist Kathryn Hodgkinson.

The artwork is the replacement to the huge mural featuring a wizard that used to decorate the side of the former TJ’s building.

The mural on the grade two-listed building was painted over as part of the refurbishment work to CrownGate Shopping Centre by owners the Crown Estate. After the new artwork was approved at the planning meeting, Jim Yates, head of development at the Crown Estate, said: “The council’s decision to approve the planning application is fantastic news.

“We believe that Kathryn’s design will create a piece of public art which is both in keeping with Worcester’s history and the building’s prominent position.”

The artwork, called Confluence, consists of 37 bronze birds, 33 of which will be hand-modelled and cast from stuffed common British birds, while the other five will be decorative “fantasy” birds inspired by Royal Worcester Porcelain designs.

The fantasy birds will feature references to Worcester’s shopping scene and other themes.

The concave stainless steel dish will reflect the sky and the surroundings.

The dish and the birds will need to be washed with a mild detergent every year.

Although the paint is expected to last 10 years, the birds can be removed for maintenance, which will be the responsibility of the freeholder of 18 Broad Street.

The Crown Estate worked alongside independent regional design and architectural consultancy MADE (Midland Architecture and the Designed Environment) to commission the design.