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.