Agenda item

Crossrail Art Programme

Report of the Town Clerk.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk concerning future funding of the maintenance of two artworks in the public realm at Liverpool Street station that were part of the Crossrail Art Programme.

 

Members expressed concerns in respect of the figures presented, querying the accuracy of the maintenance costs and the level of testing this forecast had undergone. It was suggested that it might have been advisable for another committee to scrutinise these costs prior to consideration by Policy & Resources. The Committee also expressed its disappointment that the City Corporation was being left in the position of having to take on a further unanticipated financial commitment or see the artwork cancelled, despite having committed significant funding already. The timing was particularly unfortunate given the ongoing Fundamental Review process. In response to several comments, the Director of Major Projects reassured Members in relation to the significant activity that had gone into testing and seeking to minimise these costs. The Director of Communications outlined the strong link to the Corporate Plan and Members noted that the artwork in question had been produced by a renowned female sculptor, thereby providing an additional link to the Corporation’s policies associated with increased celebration of women in its public art and the sculpture in the City programme.

 

RESOLVED: That Members:-

1.       Agee to enter into agreements with the Conrad Shawcross Studio Ltd., Kusama Enterprises, British Land, Land Securities (and any other party) as necessary for the successful fabrication and installation of the two artworks.

2.       Note that a sum for fabrication and installation will be transferred by the Charity to the City of London Corporation as highway and local authority to meet the costs of the two fixed price artist contracts.

3.       Note that Crossrail Limited have advised the City of London Corporation that a sum of £80,188.09 remains in the Charity’s budget to assist with the future costs of maintaining both artworks for a period no less than 25 years and the total net cost of maintenance over the period will be £441,000.

4.       Agree that, subject to the City taking responsibility for the artworks, once the commuted sum is exhausted the City Surveyor’s local risk budget be increased by £21,000 per annum, plus a sum for inflation based on the retail price index, to cover the cost of ongoing maintenance to be met from City’s Cash Reserves.

5.       Delegate Authority to the Town Clerk in consultation with your Chair and Deputy Chair to manage any other matters relating to the closure and strike off the Crossrail Art Foundation.

 

Supporting documents: