MANCHESTER’S controversial B of the Bang sculpture has suffered yet another major setback. More than £1.4m was spent on the massive work of art at Sportscity, but today the M.E.N. can reveal that a number of spikes may need to be removed.

A slip road off Alan Turing Way has been closed since May when firefighters had to cut off part of the construction after motorists spotted it swaying perilously in the breeze. It was supposed to withstand wind speeds of 100 mph.

The M.E.N. understands that experts are struggling to establish the cause of the problems and now want to saw off spikes for them to be tested.

When the sculpture was unveiled, the designer Thomas Heatherwick said: “Anyone would recognise the craftsmanship and engineering of this has been extraordinary.”

Debacle

But last night Lib Dem leader Simon Ashley described it as “a debacle”.

The setback is the latest in a long line of problems that have dogged the 184ft structure:
* The cost of the project doubled from a projected £750,000 to £1.42m
* The original completion date was July 2003, but it wasn’t officially unveiled until January 2005
* A huge spike crashed to the ground days before it was due to be opened. Engineers said there is a problem with the weld.
* In November 2003 it emerged that £120,000 of x council taxpayers’ money was being used to prop up the project
* Thieves managed to avoid 24-hour security at the City of Manchester Stadium and steal a 30ft spike, dumping it in Beswick.

Coun Simon Ashley, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Manchester council, said: “The whole thing has been a debacle from the very beginning.

Expensive

“You might argue that the B of the Bang looks nice, but it isn’t safe and it was hideously expensive. The £1.42m price tag could have been spent on improving schools, hospitals or roads – the issues that matter to people. Instead, it was spent on a rusting heap of metal.

“We were promised it wouldn’t cost council taxpayers any money. Then we were told it did need taxpayers’ money, but it would be an iconic construction.

“Quite frankly, the only thing the B of the Bang is iconic of is the way the council wastes money.
“On top of that, the council don’t seem to be able to provide any straight answers on what’s happening to the sculpture and when.”

Each week for the last three months the M.E.N. has been asking when the sculpture, which was commissioned to mark the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, will be fixed.

Tom Russell, the chief executive of regeneration agency New East Manchester said: “We share the M.E.N.’s concern to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. However, B of the Bang is a unique and complex structure and we want to be certain of its integrity. We are currently awaiting a response from the contractors on proposals to carry out further tests.”

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