CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION
7.30pm 31.05.16
Highland Council has given responsibility for coming up with design ideas for the city centre to Inverness City Art Works Group. This group appears to be determined to make progress with their idea of a tilting viewing platform.
The wooden platform was to be sited at Friars Shott, but after a “consultation” it was clear that the public said “not this, not now, not here”. Since this was a Highland Council “consultation” this seems to have been taken as “do it, now, just not here”! The committee, jointly led by Councillor Thomas Prag, has recommended that the project go ahead, but be moved to near the Cathedral.
Highland Council has a dismal record on public arts projects. (They REALLY DO! See links at bottom of page!)
Who thinks the piles of slate on Church Street are a good idea? (NOT ME!)
Why are the pictures on Crown Road (including of “Forty Pockets”) already fading into obscurity?
They proposed the gold cladding of the museum building, stopped by public protest.
The tilting pier proposal is not a good use of public money. It will cost more than the budget and will require ongoing maintenance. CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION
Press & Journal 31.05.15
I THINK IT IS STUPID!
Inverness Courier 29.05.16
The more I hear from Councillor Laird, the more I am liking him!
Inverness Courier 24.05.16
Petition in support of River Ness “tilting pier” arts project gathering support
21.05.16 Iain Ramage
The proposed £300,000 tilting pier.
The balance of public opinion over the proposed £300,000 “tilting pier” arts project for the River Ness has swung a little in favour of those who support the idea.
A rival online campaign has been launched within hours of a petition aimed at scrapping the concept, which is also known as “The Gathering Place”, as a waste of public money.
Ashleigh Murray’s new petition states that the tilting platform would be “a great new piece of art” that would prove a crowd puller.
It goes on: “Our town comes with little history, so let’s make art that can be looked back on in years to come. This piece of art comes at a price but it also have a lot of benefits.
“The rate of tourism will go up and I believe this platform will be like a monument and that it could be another thing that represents and makes Inverness more known.”
A handful of people were quick to add their thoughts.
One said: “The pot holes can wait. This thing will help the tourism trade and will be great fun.”
Another wrote: “The pier would be an asset to our great city.”
And another supporter said: “It will be a great boost to the area. Love a bit more art in the Highlands.”
Within 24 hours of going online, the objectors’ petition had attracted more than 300 signatures.
That campaign is led by Inverness accountant and activist Donald MacKenzie who previously challenged the council’s proposed £500,000 spending on a “golden shroud” for the city’s museum and art gallery.
(Tinfoil Hats are pathetic compared to a Tinfoil Museum!! & “Golden Shroud” Really? I am gonnae assume that’s meant 2 be funny!! Cause if not then i will SERIOUSLY start to worry about the sanity of those at HC)
That project was put on hold last month (APRIL) for further consideration following a public outcry about the expense in an era in which the council has had to make budget savings of tens of millions of pounds due to cuts in government grants.
(Damn right there was an outcry. 1/3 of a million on an enormous, shoogly, concrete weeble that’s mascarading as a pier?! WORDS FAIL ME)
The objectors’ petition will be presented to councillors in due course. The other will be delivered to “the public,” according to the website.
A small working group of councillors is pressing on with plans to build the tilting pier on the riverside near Eden Court Theatre having dropped a previous proposal – due to huge public opposition – to construct it at Friars Shott, downstream in Huntly Street.
( I’d love to know who they are. Just so I could discuss the matter in person with each & every one of them!)
Several city councillors have urged the group to forget it altogether.
(Y A Y for those who haven’t lost their bloody marbles!)
The platform is part of a wider £760,000 artworks programme commissioned by the working group which has been guaranteed £305,600 from Creative Scotland and £66,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
(QUIT IT WI THE DAMN CRAPPY ART. Prime example is the concrete blobs on Church Street… Remind me again how come there is HALF A MILLION POUNDS UNACCOUNTED FOR & THERE ARE NO FUKIN BOOKS DETAILING SPENDING!? in more detail HERE)
Much of the anger has focussed on the artworks costing the Inverness common good fund £280,750 and the council £106,000
CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION
CLICK HERE TO SIGN PETITION
Inverness Courier tell story from a slightly different angle than the P & J…
WE WON!
Highland Council’s controversial tilting pier project scrapped
The artist’s impression of what the tilting platform could look like
Highland Council bowed to public opinion yesterday in a shock decision to ditch the controversial city project nicknamed the tilting pier.
The artwork – under its official title the Gathering Place – was most recently proposed for a spot by Eden Court Theatre as part of a wider £760,000 riverside arts initiative – but it has long divided opinion among Inverness and HIghland residents, visitors and politicians.
The £370,000 viewing platform was originally planned for the Friars Shott area of Huntly Street – but 59% of the public who participated in a consultation were against the idea.
And yesterday, several members of the Inverness City Committee gathered for a special meeting to debate the project’s future.
David Haas, lead council officer for the Inverness City Arts (ICArts) working group in charge of the project, warned that a decision to scrap the proposals would lead Creative Scotland – which had pledged £259,000 to the pier project – to review their funding decisions for future public art in Inverness.
But regardless of his warning, 10 members of the Inverness city committee voted in favour of pulling the plug on the pier, with seven voting for the original motion for further public consultation on the new site.
After the vote, Ken Gowans, who resigned amid public anger as chairman of the Inverness City Arts (ICArts) working group which ran the pier project, said: “I think we have made the right decision and it was inevitable. The public made their views very clear and unequivocally. In my view we should have been at this point several months ago.
“Today, that decision has been vindicated by the Inverness City Committee and I think although there was an alternative to carry on with some consultation, all that would have done was stave off the inevitable.
“Creative Scotland understand the unpredictability of public art projects and this would not be the first time a project they have funded has had to be revisited”.
Inverness Central councillor Janet Campbell, who put forward the amended motion to scrap the pier for an alternative project that would comply with the artist’s brief, said: “I think considering the results of the public consultation it is time now just to move on.
“I feel that on the river we need something that is more appropriate to the history and traditions within the city. Maybe we could have something that symbolises the traditions and links to salmon fishing on the Ness.
“We cannot approve a project if we don’t consider it appropriate for the city, and I think we need to cut our losses and deliver in the interests of Inverness and the people in this city.”
Councillors Donnie Kerr said: “I voted for the amendment because I believe what happened here was an outrage. The public consultation had 59% of people against it and to engineer it by stirring up a focus group demeans the public consultation process”.
However councillor Graham Ross, ICArts working group member who voted for the original motion, said: “I thought there was another opportunity to go to the public and get a consultation done and see what there reaction was without potentially damaging the reputation through Creative Scotland and for attracting artists.”
Provost Helen Carmichael, said: “I am naturally very disappointed in the decision to abandon this keystone piece in the Inverness Arts Programme.
“It is unfortunate that members felt today that they should be swayed by the views of a small vocal number of critics, rather than represent the silent majority and in particular, the support of many stakeholders in the business community and the views of young people who told us they wanted Inverness to be seen as a modern cultural city.”
Almost £65,000 has been spent on the tilting pier project to date.
In addition to the funding pledge by Creative Scotland, it recently emerged that £65,000 of Highlands and Islands Enteprise (HIE) grant towards the wider costs also hinged on the platform being built.
ICArts working group will now go back to funding partners to explore the possibility of a future funding contribution.
The remaining projects in the Inverness Arts Programme will go ahead. Source Press & Journal
Highland Council Caves In To Pier Pressure #TiltingPier #ConcreteSeesaw
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