Residents of the Hawthorn Lodge retirement homes in Longbridge have lodged a formal complaint against Farnham’s new ‘Hand’s Turn’ public artwork opposite the Farnham Maltings.

Councillors were told at a meeting of Farnham Town Council that Waverley’s planning enforcement team had received a complaint, with Hawthorn Lodge residents expressing particular concerns about the sculpture’s location and aesthetics.

The interactive sculpture – likened to everything from discarded sci-fi film props to Madonna’s cone bra – also made national headlines last week with the Daily Mail reporting local people had been left “utterly baffled” by the £19,500 artwork.

But in a passionate defence of the sculpture, Farnham town clerk Iain Lynch said “hundreds” of people were involved in the creation of the artwork, including residents of Hawthorn Lodge.

Councillor George Hesse added the £19,500 cost was not met by taxpayers – but funded by the University for the Creative Arts as a condition of its planning agreement for a new accommodation block.