£200k bill for scrapped concert in dock

Oct 4 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

THE scrapped plans for a showcase concert in a dock during Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year have left the city with a bill for around £200,000.

The plan to hold the “once-in-a-lifetime” concert in the Salthouse Dock was abandoned because a detailed analysis judged the scheme would have cost between £7m and £8m.

The Liverpool Sound concert will now take place at Liverpool FC’s Anfield stadium with Sir Paul McCartney headlining.

Opposition Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson last night said consultants had also judged that because of silt in the bottom of the dock the concert would have created a “stink”. A Culture Company spokesman said it had been an ambitious project but after a thorough review of costs and risks it was decided to use Anfield instead.

He said it was anticipated that some of the costs would be recouped as some of the work carried out would assist in staging the gig at Anfield.

But last night Cllr Anderson said the money wasted was “just not acceptable”.

It comes just a day after the Daily Post revealed the council could be forced to cut services to pay for a £20m shortfall in next year’s Culture budget if a number of measures to offset the cost fall through.

The Salthouse plan would have involved draining the dock, then building a stage and tiers of seating to hold up to 25,000 people. The basin would have then been re-filled so the stage appeared to be floating on the water. Cllr Anderson said he wrote to council chief executive Colin Hilton two weeks ago because of concerns about the bill.

Cllr Anderson said Mr Hilton had confirmed to him the bill was around £200,000, though the Labour leader fears the final cost could reach £250,000.

“I do not recall this harebrained scheme being brought before the Culture Company board when I was on it,” he said.

“It’s nothing short of a daft idea to drain the dock, clean it, and stun the fish.”

It was concluded the cost of staging two back-to-back concerts at the location would have been £8m.

“When they are struggling with a £7m overspend in social services, it’s crazy that they are even contemplating such mad ideas,” said Cllr Anderson.

“This is yet another issue in a catalogue of incompetency.

“Thank God for small mercies that it did not go ahead. It was a blessing in disguise that the plug was pulled.” A Culture Company spokesman said: “This was an ambitious project and would have provided a stunning location for the concert.

“It was an extremely complex scheme and after a thorough review of all the associated costs and risks, and an opportunity provided by an iconic alternative venue, a decision was taken to relocate the concert to Anfield stadium.

“Costs are always attached to developing any high-profile project, but expenses incurred have come from within existing budgets.”

Meanwhile, the outcome of the inquiry into the Mathew Street Festival fiasco is expected very soon.

The council has been carrying out an internal investigation since the outdoor stages were cancelled on health and safety grounds, just weeks before the August Bank Holiday festival.

davidbartlett