Cuts made to Inverness riverside art scheme
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A BID to shelve one of the curved walls which form the controversial My Ness sculpture was made at a private meeting of the group spearheading the project.
It has emerged the idea was floated during the latest discussion of the Inverness City Arts Working Group – comprising Highland Council officials and councillors – on November 6.
Minutes of the meeting have been released ahead of tomorrow’s Inverness city committee gathering where councillors will have a chance to publicly discuss a series of artworks for the riverside, including My Ness which is planned for near the Ness Islands and Bught Park.
Two other projects – which were part of the series – look certain to the ditched because additional cash is needed for the £300,000 My Ness centrepiece following a costly redesign after a public outcry over the lack of wheelchair access.
It has left the project £32,000 adrift. As a result, local authority bosses say the project now faces an indefinite delay as they try to identify new funding sources.
In August, Inverness councillors voted 15-7 in favour of continuing the project on the basis that not another penny of council cash would be spent on it.
Minutes from the working group meeting stated: “It was queried whether the platform length of the My Ness art piece could be reduced to compensate for the additional works but it was explained that this would not be feasible.
“It was suggested that the section of the project located on the opposite side of the river could be withdrawn but the artist had indicated that this component was integral to the overall concept of the project.”
It comes as the council admitted that a tree was felled on the Ness Islands to make way for an element of the project which is no longer going to be built.
The £40,000 children’s water feature – which has already had £12,902 spent on it – is not going ahead.
A council spokesman said: “I believe one tree was taken down to make way for the children’s water feature. The rest were in connection with the cleaning up of the islands. The tree that was removed for the water feature was done at this time as it coincided with other tree removals and general clearing of shrubs and bushes.”
Another element called The Trail which was to cost £25,000 and use stories and heritage to connect the Ness Islands and mouth of the river is also being shelved – despite an investment of £3500.
A spokeswoman for campaigners OpenNess said: “We can only hope that councillors will call a halt to this disastrous project because OpenNess thinks that the £32,000 shortfall – bad enough as that is – will prove to be even higher if the work continues.”
Councillors have been told by officials that “non-completion of the main project would carry financial and reputational risk”.
The report also indicates another part of the artwork series – a viewing platform called Rest Spaces – which was set for Bank Street needs to go to a different site.
Officers have looked at three potential locations and prefer a spot near the old golf course at Torvean as part of the West Link road project. This element of the project is already £645.89 over its £40,000 budget.
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Extra costs add £32,000 to bill for My Ness riverside artwork
Inverness art axed after tree gets chop
