Damien Hirst Antony Gormley

MAILOnline By NICK CONSTABLE and CHRIS HASTINGS

Damien Hirst's 67-foot pregnant Angel of the West: Taller than the Angel of the North, the landmark set to tower over the Devon coast

Artist submits plans for a statue 10 inches taller than Antony Gormley's Sculpture would be 100 yards from Hirst's own restaurant in Ilfracombe Plan divides opinion, with residents labelling it 'The Belly of the South'

It will be Devon’s answer to the Angel Of The North: a giant statue of a naked pregnant woman holding a sword above her head. The monumental sculpture – which is a full ten inches higher than its 66ft North East counterpart – is  the brainchild of controversial artist Damien Hirst, who wants to erect it in a car park at Ilfracombe harbour. Hirst, who lives in a £3.5 million farmhouse just outside the resort, has told local councillors they can have the statue on loan for 20 years if they grant him the necessary planning permission. Hirst’s idea for an ‘Angel of the West’ has already divided opinion and some residents in the town, which is a teenage pregnancy blackspot, have instead dubbed it ‘The Belly of the South’. But the proposal is expected to be given the go-ahead by councillors convinced it will attract hundreds of thousands of visitors. It would also be a boon for Hirst’s restaurant, 11 The Quay, which is just 100 yards from the proposed site. Planners will make their decision in September, and the sculpture, which currently exists in three sections, could be in place two months later. Councillor Mike Edmunds said: ‘We have got to find new ways of attracting visitors. 'We are lucky to have an artist of Damien’s stature in the area and we want to start rebranding the town in the area of the arts rather than as just a traditional resort.’