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Transport Museum costs spiral |
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Friday, 27 January 2006 |
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Tuesday's Policy & Resources Committee heard that the estimated
cost of the new riverside Transport Museum is expected to be £60
million. Councillors were asked to approve this although no alternative
proposals were shown in the report. The obvious alternative was to
forget the innovative design and build a cheaper more conventional
structure. After all, most families going to see the Transport Museum
want to see the trams and trains INSIDE the building rather than gaze
adoringly at the building from the OUTSIDE!
Then at Thursday's Audit & Ethics Committee it was reported how
the Easterhouse Cultural Campus (again an innovative design) had over
run on time and costs. It seems that the risk of costs spiralling out
of control are much greater if the building is "innovative" (see also
the Scottish Parliament!). While the ideal might be to have Glasgow
full of state of the art buildings, maybe it would be wiser to be more
realistic and do the simple things well.
All 3 opposition councillors (SNP, SSP, and Tory) at Tuesday's meeting
called for a further report laying out the possible options. But Labour
refused and pushed through authorisation for £60m. Watch this space for
future price rises!
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