From hell to Midhurst, Dante might soon be coming to town.

Plans to erect a statue of the 13th century poet, writer and philosopher Dante in Midhurst have been submitted to Chichester District Council.

The application from Harvey Tordoff, of the Midhurst Society, is seeking permission for a 2.16m bronze statue atop a rock and concrete base to be put up near South Pond close to the ornamental footbridge.

A design statement submitted with the application said: “Midhurst is the adopted home of the sculptor Philip Jackson, and it would be fitting to have a Philip Jackson statue on prominent display in the town.“

In an amazing gesture of generosity, Philip is proposing making a gift of the statue to the people of Midhurst – to be held on their behalf by Midhurst Town Council.

While Midhurst has no link to Dante, Chichester is twinned with Ravenna, where his tomb attracts thousands of visitors each year.

If the statue gets the go-ahead, it will depict Dante holding an open book – The Divine Comedy, which is widely considered to be one of the most important poems of the Middle Ages.

Perched on the pages will be three figures – Dante himself along with Virgil and Beatrice, his companions in Purgatory seeking Paradise.

To view the application, log on to planningpublicaccess.southdowns.gov.uk and search for 23/05069/FUL.