Drivers carpeted on damage to artwork

Mar 7 2008 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

CITY leaders have warned careless motorists they could be forced to pay for spiraling repair costs to public artwork.

The controversial Blue Carpet outside Newcastle’s Laing Gallery has fallen foul of careless van drivers and is contributing to a increasingly large bill for council taxpayers.

Last year drivers chipping away at the Blue Carpet’s seat and dropping heavy loads on to the tiles added to Newcastle Council’s £114,000 repair costs for the installation.

The artwork has in previous years been attacked by arsonists and vandals, but council staff think the latest dents and chips are the result of van drivers.

After studying CCTV footage, the council is warning it will be doing its best to identify future offenders and where possible will be making insurance claims against drivers.

Pauline Allen, the council’s executive member for culture, heritage, libraries and sport, said a little more care would solve the city’s problem.

“We’ve had enough really,” she said. “The bill is rising and I think the problem is getting worse. It’s such an easy thing to put right, with just a little more care.

“It is so good for the city to have these wonderful pieces of art, public art, and we want to keep them in the best condition.

“But all these knocks mean the council tax payer is having to pay for other people’s mistakes.

“We are getting concerned that more and more damage is being reported, and we know it is coming mainly from van drivers unloading or driving through the art.

“One option open to us is to use the CCTV, track down the drivers involved and make sure they pay, but we would much rather people were just aware that this is a piece of public artwork and we should take care.”

Tony Durkin, head of libraries for Newcastle Council, said the moveable bollards used to let people across the carpet for deliveries will be looked at to see if they can be made more secure and to prevent other drivers sneaking through behind delivery vehicles.

The bollards are supposed to let drivers through to make deliveries near to the carpet, but some are driving over it and others not making deliveries at all are using the area as a short cut.

“The big problem is that this is part of the highway and while we have transport controls in place, we cannot stop all motorist driving near the relatively fragile art,” said Mr Durkin.

Anyone witnessing a motorist damaging public art in Newcastle should contact the council on (0191) 232-8520.

Chequered history from beginning

THE Blue Carpet, with its colourful past, has rarely been out of the news.

Since its official opening in 2002, the carpet has been the victim of vandalism and arson attacks and found itself in the middle of council funding arguments.

And being in a public place, just outside Newcastle’s Laing Art Gallery, the 22,500 blue tiles have to put up with some 200,000 walkers a year.

The public arts project originally used the wrong tiles, prompting many to question the £1.4m cost, shared between the Arts Lottery Fund, European Improvement Fund and Newcastle City Council.

And within months of the first tiles going down in 2001, arsonists struck, setting fire to surrounding scaffolding which collapsed on to the flooring outside the gallery. Arsonists returned in October to repeat their attack, once again delaying the official launch.

Then months before the grand unveiling, experts decided the wrong tiles had been used and warned they may not last a year.

New lighting was installed at the artwork at a cost of £45,000, although councillors said it would save £60,000 over 10 years.

However, it costs £3,200 each year in maintenance.

The Blue Carpet, was designed by artist Thomas Heatherwick, who won a competition to create a public square outside the Laing Art Gallery.

Despite some public criticism, it has won rave reviews from national critics.