A 100-metre high chalk beaver could bring more tourists to Blenheim, says beaver mastermind Dave Lochead.

The English village of Cerne Abbas has a giant man, closer to London, they have a giant horse, could Blenheim get a giant beaver?

A 100-metre high figure of a chalk beaver on the slopes of the Wither Hills has been proposed as the Marlborough District Council hears long-term plan submissions this week.

It's hoped the sculpture could bring more tourists to Blenheim, by referencing the town's nickname, Beavertown.

SUPPLIED This postcard from 1918 shows the Bulford Kiwi, in England, one of several historic chalk sculptures worldwide.

Dave Lochead, who headed the submission, said he took inspiration from historic chalk sculptures such as the Cerne Abbas Giant, in Dorset, or the Uffington White Horse, in Berkshire.

#uffingtonwhitehorse #valeofwhitehorse #oxford #dji A post shared by Gareth Singleton (@garethsingleton) on Mar 30, 2018 at 6:16am PDT

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SUPPLIED Another artist's impression shows the outline of a beaver on the Wither Hills. Dave Lochead thinks it would have more impact filled in.

"I did a bit of brainstorming with my friend while we were out walking the Wither Hills," Lochead said.

"We discussed how we could bring more people to Blenheim. A chalk sculpture would certainly be unique and whimsical."

STUFF The Gumboot is a strong tourist attraction in Taihape.

Lochead said more tourists spending extra time in Blenheim to view the sculpture would benefit cafes, restaurants and businesses in town.

His submission stated the beaver would add vibrancy and income to Blenheim's central business district and, to a lesser extent, outlying areas.

"People know that we have grapes, but a grape sculpture would not have the same effect as a beaver one," Lochead said.

SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF The Wither Hills, in Blenheim, are popular with walkers and mountainbikers.

"Visitors will want to know why we have a beaver sculpture when we're located in a country that's never even had the creature.

"They'll spend an hour or two in Blenheim to find out information on why it's a beaver and to take a photograph with it.

"The longer people spend in town, the better."

AMATIL NZ The L&P bottle has done wonders for Paeroa, in the Waikato region.

A post shared by Andrew Robertson (@gallantryphotos) on Jan 29, 2018 at 10:44am PST

If installed, Blenheim's chalk beaver would join the long list of novelty sculptures in New Zealand, including the Big Carrot, in Ohakune, the L&P Bottle, in Paeroa, and the Gumboot, in Taihape.

While the sample artwork provided in the submission showed an outline of a beaver, Lochead said a "filled beaver" would have "far more impact".

"This would help it stand out from quite a distance away," he said.

The submission said the figure would ideally be visible from State Highway 1, as visitors drove into town from Picton.

Lochead said although he thought strong sculpture visibility was crucial, he "had no specific hill picked".

"Whichever one works best," he said.

Blenheim construction firm Crafar and Crouch was identified by Lochead as the "best contractor to carry out such work".

The submission said Crafar and Crouch managing director Norm Crafar proposed using waipapa lime chip as the base, due to its lower cost, availability and stable nature.

The project was estimated to cost the Marlborough District Council about $55,000.

This would include $45,000 for lime chip installation and up to $10,000 for a survey.

If installed, Lochead said maintenance would "depend on the materials".

"We'll work with the contractor to find the best material for the job," he said.

"I know that the UK sculptures have to be whitewashed, on occasion. "We'll whitewash the sculpture every five to 10 years if worse comes to worse."

Lochead said, if installed, the beaver would not be accessible to the public to prevent vandalism.

Council strategic planning and economic development manager Neil Henry said it was "not considered likely" that the project would attract government funding as a stand alone project due to the uncertain benefits.

"It is difficult to quantify the economic benefits of this project to Blenheim without procuring an economic assessment, the cost of which would likely be relatively high compared to the project costs of this project supplied by the submitter," Henry said.