Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economy advising Members of the intention to discharge the bus station planning condition requirement for providing public art by the delivery of a distinctive stained glass window, to be known as the Gloucester Window, to be located at the new bus station. 

RESOLVED that:

1.        A budget of £100,000 from the existing Transport Hub budget, to fund the Gloucester Window project, be confirmed.

2.       The Head of Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Economy be given delegated authority to agree full details of the Gloucester Window project, including the direct appointment of Tom Denny or an alternative exceptional artist, and with the Council Solicitor, to approve all necessary legal documentation to implement the resolution, and Cabinet agrees to waive the Contract Rules accordingly.

Cabinet considered the report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economy that advised Members of the intention to discharge the bus station planning condition requirement for providing public art by the delivery of a distinctive stained glass window, to be known as the Gloucester Window, to be located at the new bus station.

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economy advised Members that the provision of distinctive and unique features in the city had long been a theme of comments received from residents.  The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure explained that the cost would be borne from the Transport Hub capital budget with restrictions on what it can be spent on, rather than the Council’s own revenue budgets, and reminded Members of the planning conditions for the bus station requiring some form of public art.  She further informed Members that the experience of other authorities has been that providing high quality art generally requires this level of spending.  She stated that the internationally renowned artist John Denny working with local artists and the wider community was key to the project.  The Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods reiterated the importance of creating a unique feature to celebrate the Gloucester’s rich heritage at the gateway to the city and expressed confidence that it would be respected.  The Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning endorsed the previous comments and added that the window would have the advantage of being incorporated into the bus station structure during construction, not taking floor space from users and each of the twelve panes being a work of art in itself.  He pointed out that the bus station was intended to be iconic and raise the reputation of Kings Quarter as regeneration had done at the Docks in the 1980s.

RESOLVED that:

1.        A budget of £100,000 from the existing Transport Hub budget, to fund the Gloucester Window project, be confirmed.

2.       The Head of Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Economy be given delegated authority to agree full details of the Gloucester Window project, including the direct appointment of Tom Denny or an alternative exceptional artist, and with the Council Solicitor, to approve all necessary legal documentation to implement the resolution, and Cabinet agrees to waive the Contract Rules accordingly.