Home   News   Article

Riverside artwork project is put on hold


By Gregor White

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!
The My Ness project is being redesigned.
The My Ness project is being redesigned.

Inverness’s controversial riverside arts project is in trouble again after Highland Council identified a funding shortfall for its centrepiece work.

A costly redesign after a public outcry over the lack of wheelchair access for the My Ness curved wall sculpture planned for near the Ness Islands 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.

Inverness city manager David Haas insisted yesterday that the project “has not gone over budget” but added: “The change to extend the access above the required level has resulted in an additional sum of around £32,000.

“In order for us to progress the project and to fulfil the contract we need to plug a funding gap of £9848 in hard cash, with a contingency of £22,000.”

After months of controversy and calls from many councillors for the project to be scrapped following arguments about its cost and potential environmental impact, in August Inverness members voted 15-7 in favour of continuing the project.

However, this decision was made on the basis that not another penny of council cash would be spent on it.

Ahead of that meeting, council chief executive Donna Manson had warned of a “significant reputational risk to the council” should the artworks project be cancelled, with a report also assessing the financial cost to the local authority of cancellation at between £120,000 and £190,000.

Yesterday Mr Haas insisted: “Our partners remain committed to the project and we will be working with them to address this gap.

“Until we are able to – for reasons of good governance – plug that gap, we are not able to progress with the contract unless we can meet and pay for its development in the budget agreed.”

The issue is due to be discussed at the next meeting of the council’s city of Inverness area committee on Thursday.

Ness-side councillor Ron MacWilliam, who has been a staunch opponent of the My Ness proposals, insisted it was not possible for any more council money to be put towards the works.

“The Inverness city committee made a firm decision to not commit any further public funds to this pointless project less than three months ago,” he said yesterday.

“The decision of the committee must be respected, which means the £32,000 shortfall will have to be funded from private subscription. There is no other way.

“If Inverness councillors attempt to raid the Inverness Common Good Fund all over again they will have lost all legitimacy and the public will be further incensed.

“The provost of Inverness needs to show some leadership instead of continually trying to shut down discussion. She is starting to turn the historic role which she is privileged to hold into a laughing stock.”

Inverness South member Councillor Andrew Jarvie dubbed My Ness “the nightmare which never ends”.

He said: “At the time, members had concerns about the complete inaccessibility for disabled people.

“Assurances were given that the specifications were not final and the omission of disabled access was not the case, as this would be ironed out at the contract stage and would not be an issue.

“Given that there was concern of ‘mission creep’ with the project, it was also agreed that no extra funds would be committed and this would be the end.

“It is now perfectly clear that, as the overspend comes from disabled access adjustments, the fancy artists had completely omitted disabled access from their design and that these changes would cost more money.

“Disabled access is the law and there is no getting around it. But it is completely unacceptable that, having been so unequivocally assured that disabled access had been factored in and would be within budget, we now find out the reality is the very opposite.”


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More