Edinburgh Council could approve a temporary ban on public art projects in Princes Street Gardens when it meets on Thursday.
Council officers have proposed a “temporary moratorium” on new artworks until a “statue and memorialisation plan” and wider Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy are signed off.
This would not affect ongoing projects such as the memorial for one of Edinburgh’s greatest literary exports — Muriel Spark — and a sculpture to commemorate those impacted by the Infected Blood Scandal, but would nix any nascent memorial projects for the gardens.
Princes Street Gardens is one of the capital’s statue hotspots, with more than 20 statues and monuments standing in the gardens, and another two on the way.
Wojtek the Bear is one of Princes Street Gardens’ most recognisable – and photographed – monuments
When the Muriel Spark installation was in development in August last year, there was some discussion in the city council about instead constructing the statue in Bruntsfield Links.
Councillors eventually requested council officers to find alternative memorial locations and “achieve a better spread across the city”.
Although it came too late to change the “Spirit of Spark” memorial location, council officers, in a report for the Culture and Communities Committee on Thursday, now appear to have taken up that advice: “There is a heavy concentration of monuments and memorials in the [Princes Street] gardens, and more proposals being received on an ongoing basis.
“Stakeholders, including Edinburgh World Heritage, City Councillors and event organisers have recently expressed concerns about the siting of new permanent statues, monuments and artworks in the gardens, and provided suggestions for consideration for any future proposals.”
The officers added: “It is recommended that Committee agrees a temporary moratorium on any future requests for locating new public art works in Princes Street Gardens, and that a statue and memorialisation plan with firm locational criteria to guide any new proposals is developed.
“This is to be aligned with the timing of the wider Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy and reported accordingly.”
The council’s public art panel meets on a regular basis, with a maximum of three proposals considered at each meeting. Recent presentations have been received from the Sean Connery Foundation and Haemophilia Scotland.
Council officers also gave an update on three statues approved last year.
The Spirit of Spark statue has gathered momentum, and Jacqueline Donachie has now been selected as the designer of the memorial.
The Royal Regiment of Scotland 20th Anniversary statue was unveiled on 1 July by King Charles III.
A memorial sculpture to remember those impacted by the Infected Blood Scandal is still in its early stages.
Councillors will vote on the moratorium proposal at Thursday’s meeting of the Culture and Communities Committee, which begins at 10am.
Jacqueline Donachie who will sculpt the Spirit of Spark
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