Wooden sculptures made from storm-damaged trees placed at Canoe Lake in Portsmouth

The hand-carved largely marine-themed pieces, which include a bumblebee bench, whelk and starfish and will soon be joined by a crab, have been created to recognise the 25th anniversary of the sister city partnership between Portsmouth and the Japanese city of Maizuru.

Eastney & Craneswater councillor John Smith, who approved the use of the ward’s Community Infrastructure Levy funds last year for the project said the sculptures had already been attracting positive feedback.

‘This is an imaginative use for local fallen storm-damaged trees,’ he said. ‘It has been made possible thanks to the culture and leisure team [at the council] and the talent of the chainsaw sculpturist.’

He said the crab was likely to moved into place in early August and that this would be followed by a crane in a branch which will be placed in the Japanese garden.

A formal unveiling is expected to take place after all the sculptures in place with interpretation panels also due to be installed to explain their backstory.

All city councillors have access to funded collected by the council through the Community Infrastructure Levy which is collected from developers when planning permission is granted for any development.

While the majority of the funding is used to fund large infrastructure projects such as roads and healthcare provision associated with increased development, 15 per cent is allocated for ward priorities, such as playground improvements, or 25 per cent in Milton because it has a neighbourhood plan.

For the 2021-2022 municipal year, the latest for which full data has been published, the council invoiced developers for just under £4m in contributions. Over the course of the same year, £3.2m was received while about the same sum was spent.

This spending included £2.2m spent on the city centre redevelopment and just under £300,000 for a business case for the council’s proposed transport hub at the park and ride site.