Controversial Gathering Place artwork on the banks of the River Ness is set to come under the spotlight again with councillors demanding answers about its financing, accessibility and what lessons can learned
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The leader of Highland Council Margaret Davidson will face a battery of questions over the controversial Inverness Gathering Place artwork at a second full meeting of the local authority in a week.
Three councillors – Ron MacWilliam, Andrew Jarvie, and Pete Saggers – have tabled five questions concerning the project, which, despite being unveiled last October, continues to spark ire and frustration.
They will challenge Cllr Davidson on its accessibility for disabled people, its financing and what lessons can learned from the whole situation.
The highly divisive project triggered heated debate both publicly and among those within the council as well as leading to a rare sequestered debate when members were dissatisfied by the process.
Three of the questions have already had answers published, though in the format of the meeting those posing them will be entitled to ask a follow-up on the same subject.
The leader of the Conservative group Cllr Jarvie, asked: “Do you find it acceptable that an artwork which cost the public purse nearly £400,000 is not ‘fully accessible’ to disabled people as was promised?”
Cllr Davidson responded that it was built to British standards with a 1500mm turning circle: “The specification and design of the increased disabled access was reported and agreed by City of Inverness Area Committee (CIAC) on 21 November 2019.Following CIAC on 18 November 2021, it has been confirmed by the Project Management team and Clerk of Works that it has been built to the specification agreed by CIAC. The project has delivered enhanced access within the resources approved.”
Cllr Jarvie’s second question asked: “Why are the fees paid with public money to the artists of the Gathering Place not disclosed to the public?”
Perhaps the staunchest critic of the Gathering Place is Ness-side councillor Ron MacWilliam, who originally demanded the special meeting in a bid to halt work on the project.
He asked Cllr Davidson: “Which Highland Council budget will meet the additional costs arising as a result of unauthorised spending beyond the agreed Inverness City Arts budget?”
Cllr Davidson answered and denied there was any such outlay of cash, saying: “There has been no unauthorised additional spend to the ICArts programme budget.”
He continued with: “When will a detailed breakdown of the ICArts programme expenditure become available for public scrutiny?”
To which the council leader said they already had been released through the approval of the Inverness City Arts (ICArts) Working Group minutes a the Inverness committee and have been in the public domain since November 2021.
Finally, Cllr Saggers asked: “What lessons have been learned from the saga of the Gathering Place and measures put in place to ensure something like that can’t happen again?”
