The unveiling of Quantum Leap earlier this month

The team which moulded the concrete ribs used in the controversial £450,000 Quantum Leap sculpture today said it was one of the most challenging projects they had ever been involved in.

Neil Weston, business development manager for Charcon Pre-Cast Solutions, a subsidiary of Aggregate Industries, said they had been delighted to be involved in the project.

He said that although it was one of the most complex schemes they had worked on, it had also been very rewarding and said that it would bring many benefits for the company.

Mr Weston said the total combined weight of the artwork in Mardol Quay Gardens was more than 100 tonnes.

He said it featured 31 individual blades or ribs each weighing 3.5 tonnes each.

Mr Weston added that his company had invested a large amount of money in the sculpture and claimed it was something the whole town could be proud of.

He said: “We were the manufacturers for the concrete elements of the job. Our team chose this as a technical project and this is totally unique because it’s public art.

“Basically it’s trying to achieve the impossible and, like the Angel of the North which is a good example, it’s something which looks for notoriety within the town and creates inward investment.

“It was a very difficult project and probably one of the most complex pieces of concrete we have developed.

“But there isn’t another one of these anywhere in the country and it’s a rebrand for the future.”

Mr Weston said he was delighted with how the sculpture looked and claimed it was a great cultural asset for Shrewsbury.

He said he was aware of the controversy which had seen public opinion divided since it was unveiled, but said he believed it would become an important symbol for the town.

Mr Weston said: “On a personal basis I supported this project because of the benefits and the actual significance of the memorial.

“We like it as it’s a way of showing Shrewsbury our continued support.”

The sculpture has come under criticism after Shropshire Council agreed to increase the anticipated final budget for the project by £100,000 to £450,000, however, it has also won a number of people over.

By Russell Roberts