Wick town centre lanes project ‘not really what we wanted’

Community councillors have admitted that a project aimed at improving lanes in Wick town centre was “not really what we wanted or what we expected”.

One member described the end result of the Wick Lanes Pocket Places initiative as “poor” and suggested it did not reflect the work put in by the community council.

Five designs by local artists Aimee Lockwood and Hannah Cambridge – inspired by aspects of local history, and plasma-cut from weathering steel – have been installed in Wares Lane (Back Bridge Street), John Street and Market Lane.

The intention is to make the town centre more appealing and welcoming.

The project was supported by the Scottish Government through Sustrans Scotland’s Pocket Places programme and delivered in partnership with Highland Council and the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council with a grant of £45,000.

Reaction online has been mixed, with some social media users describing the artworks as having a rusty and unattractive appearance while others have acknowledged that it is a genuine attempt to enhance the area.

Two of the artworks, in Wares Lane, are only partly visible as commercial bins are placed in front of them.

The project was completed in March, and was seen as a starting point for wider town centre regeneration.

The designs were produced following interactive workshops hosted by the two artists.

When it was pointed out at Monday’s meeting that consultation events had been held to seek local input on the choice of artworks, community councillor Eswyl Fell asked: “Did they say they were going to be putting them behind the bins?”

Community councillor David Dunnett asked: “Was the whole thing not costed out first, before they said what they were going to do?”

Treasurer Joanna Coghill said: “They had a budget of £45,000 because it was a special grant for the lanes only, and they worked around that.”

Chairman Allan Farquhar commented: “It’s not really what we wanted or what we expected, but we’ll see if we can improve things when we do the town regeneration.”

Speaking after the meeting, Mrs Coghill described the project as “disappointing and personally not what I expected at all”.

She said: “The community council backed this project all the way. We were excited to have won this grant, and we anticipated four lanes being ‘transformed’, brightened up.

“However, what we see cannot be described as a success. With all the discussions and the public consultations the end result, in my opinion, is poor and doesn’t reflect the work we as a community council contributed.”

Sustrans Scotland has been invited to comment.

It maintains that the installations will “stand as a lasting testament” to the town’s heritage. The charity says the materials used will acquire a “distinctive look” over a period of months and years as the panels gradually darken.

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