Yanks a million!

From the Guardian Series, first published Saturday 10th Apr 1999.

TOWN hall bosses have been accused of gambling with public money in a bid to commission an American artist to redesign part of the town centre.

Controversial plans to hire trendy American artist Howard Ben Tre at a cost of $1,060,100 - or £765,326 - were revealed in a secret report leaked to the GUARDIAN this week.

Council rules state Town Hall chiefs must secure a bond on any contract worth more than £120,000 in case the company fails to meet its obligations.

But after talks, the council discovered that insurers could not cover such specialist work for a small American company. Council bosses asked Mr Ben Tre to put up his home as collateral, but the artist refused.

Council experts said there was a 38 per cent chance of incurring increased costs of more than £200,000, and a six per cent chance that costs could spiral to £500,000 over budget.

But the Labour-dominated committee voted to approve the scheme, part of a £5 million redevelopment project funded from the sale of landfill company, 3C Waste.

Opposition Leader Clr Prof Barbara Mawer said: "I feel this amounts to gambling with public finances. The council shouldn't be risking such a large sum of money. The committee has voted to waive its own financial regulations, which are there for a very good reason.

"Some people see the 3C Waste money as a bottomless pit that they can keep dipping into, but I regard it as public money, just as if it had been collected directly as council tax."

The council plans to advance Mr Ben Tre 12 monthly installments totalling £752,481 while he works on the project in Boston. A senior officer will visit him to oversee the work.

Upon completion, a series of glass, bronze and stone walkways will be shipped to Warrington and installed at Market Gate, Buttermarket Street and Horsemarket Street, providing the town with a new-look Retail Quarter.

Council Leader John Gartside said: "There is an understandable unease about these arrangements, but experienced officers have assessed the risks very carefully and are very satisfied with the whole process.

"With any public arts scheme, including the River of Life, there's bound to be an element of controversy. We are at the forefront of these kind of schemes and therefore there is a higher element of risk involved than usual."

He added: "To send an officer to the States a few times a year to oversee our interests is not extravagant - it's what Warrington businesses do all the time.

"If we're going to reclaim the town centre for a broader age group, I think it's quite right to spend money on it, otherwise it will go the way of other town centres and damage the town's community spirit.

"These criticisms show there is a very parochial attitude still around in Warrington - it's the kind of mindset that has made us miss vital opportunities in the past," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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