George Best statue red-tape delay

Mr. Presentable

Pun-tastic reporting!

It could be at least another two years before a statue in honour of soccer idol George Best is finally unveiled in his native Belfast.

And, according to a top architect and urban regeneration developer, the delay is partly down to a major own-goal by bungling bureaucrats.

Doug Elliott, managing director of a string of successful companies and owner of the award-winning Batik Creative Design Store, took over the Best project in January of last year, when public subscriptions failed to raise enough cash.

He recruited leading Northern Ireland artist John Kindness — his 32ft salmon sculpture at Donegall Quay made a huge splash in 1999 —for the artwork that will personally cost him more than £330,000.

But Best fan Doug almost blew the final whistle on his plans after talks with the Department of Regional Development over a possible site for the statue.

The man who has won four UK awards for creative design politely described those discussions as inconclusive. But in a withering critique he said the procurement processes of the department, responsible for the regeneration of the city centre, were “driven by mediocrity”.

He cited the fiasco over the proposed sculpture in Corn Market as “laughable” and dismissed the “sterility” of the work being done as part of the regeneration process.

Mr Elliott, whose companies include Twenty Two Over Seven, told Sunday Life last night: “Against that background I retreated from it. I had to because I couldn’t bear to engage in the processes that were in place.

“What they are doing is so far off the mark and the way they are going about it is so far off the mark.”

On the rebound, however, he learned there was the potential to establish a site for the Best memorial within the grounds of the City Hall.

But at the same time there was also talk about a scheme for Donegall Square which could mean the removal of the Hall’s perimeter fence.

“There’s no specific plan as to how that will work out,” said Mr Elliott.

“But if the council did agree to give us a site, what might happen afterwards if someone, or the DRD and all the geniuses they are employing, decide they want to relocate it?”

Best, who died in 2005, became a global superstar in 1968 after winning the European Cup with Manchester United and being crowned European Footballer of the Year.



Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/george-best-statue-redtape-delay-14502452.html#ixzz0RjniwIQb