Portable toilets strike a bum note at Usher Hall

Published on Thursday 22 May 2008 10:27

FESTIVAL-GOERS will be forced to use portable toilets at the Usher Hall this summer as it emerged today that the £20 million project is facing further delays.

It is understood that council officials fear the venue, which will only temporarily reopen for August, may then be closed until next year's festival season.

Work had been due to finish by December – already several months behind schedule – but the council is still waiting for a report from the contractor to establish when the venue can reopen.

In the meantime, costs are thought to have risen again.

The uncertainty has forced the Scottish Chamber Orchestra to switch venues for all its performances before New Year, and ticket sales for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra's autumn season have been put on hold.

The delays have been caused by a need to reinforce the foundations of the building and provide additional support to some internal walls.

The city council today admitted the race to open the Usher Hall for this year's Festival, when it will stage opera and classical music concerts, will have a "knock-on effect" on the overall project.

The temporary arrangements for this summer will include portable toilets, but it has yet to be decided if these will be inside or outside the venue.

One source close to the project said: "The Lord Provost is very uncomfortable with the delays, and council officials have now admitted the likelihood of the Usher Hall reopening in January is highly unlikely.

"The RSNO is cheesed off, but isn't saying anything publicly against the council."

Ex-councillor Chris Wigglesworth, a former board member and still a patron of the RSNO, said: "Everyone wants to see the job finished, but when will that be? Nobody seems to want to lean on the contractors.

"Everyone will be glad to have the music back this summer, but the council is going to have to admit that a completed Usher Hall won't be available until the next festival."

Labour group culture spokesman Paul Godzik added: "This is a matter of real concern. I hope that (culture leader Deidre Brock] will be able to outline what action she is taking to ensure that the International Festival, and the programmes of both the RSNO and the SCO, are not adversely affected."

A spokesman for the city council said: "The delay is unavoidable but we are planning around it with our partners.

"Our contractors have escalated works to make the venue available for this year's International Festival.

"Clearly, having the venue open for this period will have a knock-on effect in terms of the timetable that had been planned. But we are working with our contractors to finalise the details of programme of works following this year's Festival."