Withdrawal of the planning application to show Antony Gormley's Time Horizon at Chatsworth – 2008

In January 2008, the Chatsworth House Trust submitted a detailed planning application to the Peak District National Park Authority, seeking to install, on a temporary basis, a work by Antony Gormley in the garden and park at Chatsworth. We have now withdrawn this application, for reasons outlined below.

Time Horizon, consisting of 100 iron life-size figures spread over the garden and park landscape at Chatsworth, is a major work by this internationally celebrated British sculptor, and would have been on view to visitors for several months during the summer of 2008. The work also continued a tradition, going back 300 years, of displaying sculpture in the garden landscape at Chatsworth. Time Horizon has previously been displayed on the archaeological site of Scolacium in Italy , and in 2009 is to be shown in the Austrian Alps. This was due to be its only showing in the UK .

The Chatsworth House Trust recognises the great importance of the landscape at Chatsworth, its history, archaeology and ecology. In agreement with the National Park Authority, who produced a brief for us to work to, we submitted a comprehensive set of reports that addressed all the issues relating to the impact of this temporary display. We also ensured that all statutory consultees were involved in the pre-application process.

The National Park Authority have acknowledged that all areas of our application have been recommended for approval by their officers, with the exception of the ecology. In light of further information provided in the last 10 days, the National Park ecologists consider that the lawns in the garden are of national importance for their mycology (fungi), and that this might be negatively impacted by the temporary installation of this work. This view differs from our own independent and expert research. In view of the officers' recommendation for refusal, on these ecological grounds alone, we have decided, with great regret, to withdraw the application.

The Duke of Devonshire said: ‘I would like to thank all those who have been involved in this unique and exciting project, especially Antony Gormley and his studio, the team at Chatsworth and the Landscape Agency, for the tremendous amount of work they have undertaken in preparation for this application, and am sorry that this work will not be seen in Derbyshire in 2008.'

Chatsworth is open every day until 23 December, and highlights of the season include new sculptural work in the garden by Allen Jones and David Nash, new displays in the house and a unique variety of events on offer to visitors throughout the year.