THE organisers of a three-hour silver jubilee celebration of laser and
light for the Forth Road Bridge have been warned that it may have to
spend nearly half its #45,000 budget on providing a manager for the
event.
The event is planned for early September, but a confidential report
from the bridge general manager, Mr Bruce Grewar, warns that the
majority of applications received are asking for sums between #200 and
#300 a day, plus expenses and a commission on any sponsorship.
''With an estimated 60 days' work the basic costs excluding expenses
would be between #12,000 and #18,000,'' he said.
But the revelation triggered a protest from a Conservative member of
the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board, Councillor Tom Ponton, who said it
was the equivalent salary of at least #72,000 a year, and created a
nonsense of the whole event.
A special sub-committee of the board was set up earlier this year to
co-ordinate the plans, and planned a mini tattoo and a civic reception
in addition to a laser show and floodlighting for the bridge.
The sub-committee is composed mainly of Labour councillors from
Lothian region and had been told that while extra funds could be secured
by selling commemorative souvenirs it would be necessary to consider
commercial sponsorship.
But in his report, to be discussed at a private meeting today, Mr
Grewar said: ''With an event lasting about only three hours it would
seem unlikely that we could raise sufficient sponsorship to offset the
employment of one of these firms. We have not made the budgetary
provision for this level of expenditure on event management.''
Councillor Ponton said it would mean spending half the expenditure for
the celebration on a manager to organise it.
''It is a nonsense and it would be as well to call the whole thing
off. Even the chief executive of Lothian region, who has a far more
responsible position, does not get a salary of #72,000 a year.''
However, Councillor John Wesley, who chairs the board said: ''At this
stage we haven't decided on anybody. We don't know what the costs will
be. We will try to explore every avenue to make this a successful
event.''
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