Verging on ridiculous? £320,000 of roadside 'art' fails to shine

A LOCAL authority has been accused of wasting public money on a £320,000 roadside art project that does not work.

The expensive green flashing neon waves - part of a 1 million roadside scheme paid for by North Lanarkshire Council - came under fire when the installation was announced last year.

Residents complained the design was ugly and the waves could distract drivers, but the project went ahead and was launched seven months late on Sunday.

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However, just days after the switch-on, the authority has revealed that the lights have a major electrical fault.

They have now been turned off, leaving drivers in the dark about what their cash has paid for.

A spokeswoman for the Taxpayers' Alliance said yesterday: "These lights are clearly a waste of money. Taxpayers want to see their money being spent on local services that they value, not an unnecessary art project.

"The public have waved goodbye to their money for a scheme that was not only costly and needless, but doesn't even work."

The lights were created after authority staff spotted corrosion in the walls at the side of the A8011 in Cumbernauld.

To stop them collapsing into the road, bosses began a costly project to rework landscaping, drainage and electrical work.

They also decided to brighten up the trunk road with dozens of fluorescent neon waves.

The finished scheme was due to launch in the autumn, but was held up by work to adjust the position of the lights after Strathclyde Police raised fears that they could dazzle drivers.

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The launch date was delayed until the New Year and then pushed back until Sunday.

The public artwork is in the ward of Cumbernauld South SNP councillor William Homer, who said: "The money could have been better spent on other services. It was a good attempt, but, like everything, North Lanarkshire Council got it wrong. "A lot of people are disgruntled about the amount of money it has cost, and the delays have meant people have just been getting more angry. I have hardly met anyone who likes the waves.

"It's typical for this council to spend a large amount of money on something that doesn't work. I wouldn't expect anything less."

The lights cost taxpayers 320,000 - a third of the 963,000 bill run up by the regeneration. They were built despite the council axing 1,000 jobs and cutting public services in a bid to save 55 million by 2012.The project is not the first time the council has been accused of wasting public money.

Last year, it spend 1.2m on building a 4ft decorative plug hole artwork and spent 250,000 on a 33ft-tall four-armed metal mermaid to stand alongside the A80 in Cumbernauld.

A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council has claimed the waves are an "affordable" replacement to trees, which are unable to grow on the steep banking.

He said the problem was due to be fixed this weekend, and added: "We have had a hiccup with a timing mechanism on one side of the approach.

"The problem is a faulty part, which is still under warranty, so the work will not cost any extra money."

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Complaints have been made to the AA by motorists who are worried the waves could be a hazard. But a spokesman for the AA said it has no concerns over safety issues resulting from the art project. He said: "We are happy that all such things will usually be safety audited and in most instances these minor distractions do not impede on driver safety.

"We are reasonably laid back about roadside art and features which brighten up often bland roads or seek to make a bit of a statement about a place.

"They are no more distracting than a billboard, a plane landing, or an advert on the side of a lorry."

A spokesman for contractor Aedas said: "There is an issue with a faulty time clock which means the lights are turning on, but then staying on all day. But we are pleased with the waves; we felt that stretch of road was too grey and we needed to bring some colour and identity to the area."