Darwin art costs spiral
Thursday 17th September 2009, 2:30PM BST.
The structure surrounded by scaffolding
The final budget of a controversial Shrewsbury sculpture to celebrate Charles Darwin is expected to be £450,000, a leisure boss says.
It was thought the project to create Quantum Leap and the Darwin Memorial Garden in Mardol Quay would cost £350,000.
But today George Candler, assistant director culture and leisure at Shropshire Council, said the authority was working to a revised budget – including contingency – of £100,000 more than the original cost.
Figures in a report to the council’s cabinet show the total approved scheme budget for the project within the capital programme will give scope to spend up to £483,090, including a budget increase of £100,000 which the authority is being asked to approve at a meeting.
Mr Candler said although this amount was set aside he expected the final cost to come in at £450,000. He said: “We have spent £308,000 but we are working to a revised budget of up to £450,000 including contingency.
“The additional £100,000 was set aside to pay for aspects of the construction works that took place in May this year. The change in the setting out of the supporting structure was required when the contractors found themselves unable to get the frame on site because of the tree root protection area.
“The sum also covers contingency costs.”
Mr Candler said the £308,000 already spent included groundworks and construction of the arch. Councillors today said the amount involved was “horrendous”.
The project has been hit by technical problems. Work to correct the sculpture had to be started last month as it was reportedly as much as 18 inches out of alignment at the top of the structure.
Councillor Jon Tandy said: “I believe this should have never taken place. It’s not what Darwin would have liked. The amount of money being spent whilst we’re in a recession is an absolute disgrace. I think there needs to be a full investigation.”
Councillor Miles Kenny said: “I am horrified to see the cabinet being asked to give another £100,000.”
- An earlier story in the Shropshire Star, based on the report to councillors, stated the extra £100,000 would take the final budget to almost £600,000. Shropshire Council has now clarified the report and says the final budget will be £483,090, if approved.
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Don’t bother enough of our money has been wasted on it and we don’t want anymore to be!
why don’t the council just ditch it and sell the metal for scrap?
no one cares about it anyhow!!!
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I find the Darwin Sculpture totally ludicrous. I am in favour of new and alternative art in the town. I like the theatre and the sculpture at the top of Mardol. However, to spend so much money at such a time of economic downturn is a disgrace. The money could have been much better spent on public services, such as improved mental health and counselling services of for which there is very poor provision in the County. I would request that Councillors at next Wednesday’s meeting reject any calls for further money to be thrown at this white elephant.
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When we quote for a job, that’s the price you pay. No ifs and buts.
Any extra costs incurred working within ageed specification we have to swallow it, not the customer.
So – WHY is this costing extra ?? Surely the job was properly priced and QUOTED for?
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I bet the blinds are permanently drawn over at Frankwell HQ while the ‘Nightmare On Smithfield’ pantomime runs its toe-curling course.
It’s going to take a Freedom Of Information dentist to extract the final bill on this one!
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what an eye sore . can any one tell me why local contracters were not used to build this.
shrewsbury is getting run into the ground.
why give local work away and give it to a contracter from bridgend. does not make sense.
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Its amazing how the Council can pull another £100,000 out of the hat for something utterly useless like this whilst genuinely worthy services are being cut back. This is just madness. I propose that either the project is scrapped or any overspend is found by sacking people in the Culture and Leisure department, starting with the directors.
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upset salopian – can you elaborate please on how Shrewsbury is ‘getting run into the ground’? It is foolish to make such a statement without some further evidence.
big beast – aren’t you pompous?
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askeric dotcom, is SO RIGHT.
For goodness sake, why oh why does our council continue to give contracts to firms without a CAP on the cost being agreed.
The number of times we hear that the cost of this or that has sadly risen by up to such and such a percent.
We all know that many firms put in tenders well below other company’s so as to get the contract, only to increase the costs at a later date making it more than some of the original tenders.
Is it only us public who can see this every single time on council contracts, or are our councilors accepting this as the norm these days.
ONCE YOU QUOTE FOR THE WORK, THIS SHOULD BE ADHERED TO AND IF ADDITIONAL COSTS ARE REQUIRED AFTER TENDER HAD BEEN ACCEPTED, THEN TOUGH!! THESE COMPANIES MUST BE MADE TO FOOT THIS COST, AND STOP TAKING US FOR MUGS.
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Can’t we just walk away and see what it evolves into?
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No ‘novacane’ I don’t think I am pompous actually. I’ll admit to not liking local government or the civil service much though and this farce is certainly feeding my prejudices.
Nah..ya know, you know what I don’t like? I don’t like the greasy pole careering, the buck passing, the being seen to perform whilst doing the minimum, hiding behind the union skirts, even the early retirement or the fat pensions that the country can no longer afford niggles me. Oops..I seem to have gone off the thread. Oh well.
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no point moaning about it now really, it’s here so you might as well get used to it. Plus if we’ve got to have to have it, it might as well be right.
but re Asteric.com et-al on the cost: “The additional £100,000 was set aside to pay for aspects of the construction works that took place in May this year. The change in the setting out of the supporting structure was required when the contractors found themselves unable to get the frame on site because of the tree root protection area.”
I guess the council failed to correctly spec the job. Council is at fault not contractor
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How much did the graffiti artwork cost on the boards along Smithfield Road, where Telephone House used to be? That is, IMO, far more representative of Shrewsbury and it’s history than some weird rock thing. More of that, please!
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when we get in we will sack the blooming lot of them, these public sector layabouts have had life easy under clown brown, the private sector workers have been hurt in this recession, jobs gone, pension schemes closed, i cant wait til we get in again, now get ready for some pay back
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Pitty the council didn’t celebrate Charles Darwin with some more flood defences for Shrewsbury instead of erecting a few lumps of concrete.
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