We do hope Oxford councillors are not going to get into a pickle over Exeter College’s plan to erect an Antony Gormley statue on the roof of its building on the corner of Broad Street.

The college was advised that the matter could be delegated to planning officers to decide — and that there was unlikely to be any problem.

There are planning officers remaining who remember how the city council was made to look foolish by Bill Heine as it embarked on a lengthy battle to get Mr Heine to take the shark out of the roof of his Headington home.

In the end, the Government ruled, after a public inquiry, that Mr Heine’s shark was a work of art and did not need to submit to the normal planning rules.

There are many similarities between the shark and the statue of a nude that will go on the roof of Exeter College. The Gormley statue is unquestionably a work of art and it will be placed on the roof of the building.

There, however, the similarities end. Mr Heine’s shark was both a political statement and a challenge to authority. Over a long period the shark cocked a snoot at authority and the city council was goaded into action.

Mr Gormley’s statue was acquired as part of a celebration of 150 years of Exeter College. In its location, it will challenge people to think. It will be a talking point as all good works of art should be.

We think it will enhance Broad Street and, judging by the reactions we have heard, most will agree with us.

The city’s planning officers were perhaps unwise to assume that they would be able to decide the planning application for the statue under delegated powers.

While they can see no planning issues with it, this is, after all, Oxford.

If it is called in by councillors, we trust they will not stand in its way. It will already be looking down on us with a wry smile when they make a decision anyway.