The works are chosen by the Fourth Plinth Committee, appointed by the Mayor’s Office, which reduces a longlist of contemporary proposals in sketch form to a shortlist of six.
From this, the winning proposal will be approved by the Mayor and funded by the Great London Authority at a cost of £140,000, plus £30,000 artist fee. About every two years there is a new work of art.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, it was suggested that the plan would end. A government source said that a permanent monument to the late monarch would be considered for the fourth plinth.
The London Mayor’s office has said it would support any statue to the late monarch in the capital, saying: “A statue of the Queen in a suitable location in London is a matter for the Royal Family to consider, and of course the Greater London Authority stands ready to support them in their wishes.”
However, it is clear that there are currently no plans to scrap the Fourth Plinth plan, which is one of the most prominent public commissions in the world and has caused controversy over the quality of the artworks erected.
In recent years, these included a fly-like drone perched on a sculpture featuring an ice cream cone, a golden rocking horse and a giant blue rooster.