Dear Editor,
So Cheshire East Council has commissioned a huge public art piece to adorn the side of the Royal Arcade Bus Station as we were told by a fellow Crewe Councillor at Wednesday’s full Council meeting!
Elected members at the meeting looked bemused – many of us knew nothing about it! (It appears we missed the email sent out late the previous afternoon).
Thank goodness, one of our Crewe colleagues was on the ball!
She asked all the questions that we wanted to know: where did this idea come from? How is it being paid for? How much? How was the artist chosen? Who decided the two ‘options’ for the public to choose from?
And perhaps the most salient question, can a third option be added to the public consultation; option A, option B, none of these?!
Bemusement was mixed with a fair bit of anger – member engagement was clearly lacking in this project.
Within hours of the end of the Council meeting, an email to members and a media post on the website, stated that “Cheshire East Council has been listening to initial feedback and has put on hold plans to host a public vote to decide on the design of a ‘heritage wall”.
Quite right too!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of public art.
But bearing in mind this may be coming from the public purse and the public will have to live with it for a very long time, members and more importantly, residents, have the right to be involved, and should have been involved, from the outset.
Yours,
Cllr Janet Clowes
Conservative Group Leader
Cheshire East Council
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