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Council boss orders inquiry into Cross Gates sculpture fiasco
A Leeds council boss has ordered an inquiry into the Cross Gates sculpture fiasco.
Joint leader Coun Andrew Carter has ordered officers to draw up an urgent report into how the cost of the project was allowed to "spiral out of control".
He has also put an immediate block on any more cash being spent on the gates – the bill for which currently stands at 143,000.
Coun Carter (Con, Calverley and Farsley) told the YEP: "Public art in t he right place and at the right price is fine.
"But when costs rocket like they appear to have done with this project, it is completely unacceptable, especially as it is being paid for out of a fund which is supposed to be for regeneration.
"I have said I want a hold to be put on the whole thing and I want to know why the costs have gone up by 100,000.
"I have asked for a full report now and to see what can be salvaged from it. But I don't want us to spend another penny piece on it.
"I think this whole sorry tale has become an utter farce."
The gates, installed on a roundabout at the main entrance to the east Leeds suburb, were meant to welcome visitors to the area. But all their presence seems to have done is spark a flood of complaints and a bitter row over who is responsible.
They were paid for from the 15m pot of Leeds City's Council's Town and District Centre Regeneration Scheme – which is mostly made up of taxpayers' cash and some donations from organisations like the National Lottery.
The local community forum, backed by local councillors, bid for the monument money and they were installed in January.
However, they now claim they have been made scapegoats for the project's overspend and blame interference from council officers. They say changes were made to the scheme without consultation which has caused major delays.
Coun Carter, though, believes local ward members must take the responsibility.
He said: "The regeneration scheme has been hugely successful; we've had public areas repaved, market squares improved, the lot.
"This thing in Cross Gates, though, is utter nonsense. I'm not surprised local people are cross.
"And what has really infuriated me is that the ward councillors are now trying to pass the blame on to other people.
"How to spend the money was down to local choice and all the local ward members were involved in that decision. But at the first sign of things going wrong they have tried to blame everyone else."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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