'Total tin can rubbish' - Ambit anger after secret scrapping of Sunderland's £250,000 floating sculpture is revealed

Echo readers have been reacting with anger after it was revealed Sunderland's controversial £250,000 floating artwork was secretly scrapped.
File picture of AmbitFile picture of Ambit
File picture of Ambit

It brought an end to the sad story of the troubled artwork, and has also led to a lot of anger over the amount of cash spent on the project which lasted little more than two years in the water.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Reacting on our Facebook page, Marie Anne Cooper said: “I liked the sculpture. It looked beautiful in river, but what a waste it was.”

Heather Addison wrote: “Just like The Fountain on the seafront waste of money, West Sunnyside waste of money, Keel Square waste of money. Vaux site waste of money.”

Related: Scrapping of Ambit is ‘embarrassment’ for Sunderland, say opposition councillorsPeter Gibson wrote: “The Ambit – what a load of rubbish and an obscene waste of money.

“The team did not take into consideration the power of the river.

“And it seems vandals are being blamed for its failure.

“The Ambit was a joke.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sharon Cleminson said: "Absolutely pathetic and shocking to even think the council wasted that money total tin can rubbish."

Chris Higgins said: "Money invested into art is always wasted when it's spent by councils. That could have paid to keep Sunderland's city facilities up to date."

However, others pointed out the funding was only available for the project, and would not have been given to the council otherwise.

Bob Jackson said; "If you're given money from a specific fund (such as art), that's what you have to spend it on."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Chris Higgins replied: "I stand corrected. Still, it's a big bloody waste of money though."

Adeleine Stubbs said: "I realise that, but there's art, then there's that stupid thing that was neither use nor ornament."

Others pointed out it was still ultimately taxpayers' money which had been spent on the project, even if it had come from other pots.

Alan McGinn brought up the ill-fated Seaburn Fountain.

She said: "A great metaphor for the council's attitude toward these decisions. Before it was built, the Sunderland Echo ran a poll and it was clear that no one other than the council wanted this ugly grey monstrosity and as always, the council ignored public opinion and it became just another failed project and utter waste of public money."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Joanne Jenkins said: "I remember seeing this thinking all that money wasted, and my mum was in hospital fighting cancer and had to wait/couldn't have certain treatments due to lack of money."

Norma Rutherford said: "Total waste of taxpayers money or rates put it into hospitals schools police and fire brigade."

Lee Richardson said: "The idea of it is brilliant... It was meant to be the outline of a ship to represent the ship yards, but it was put in a stupid place, yet was probably as close as you can get it to the sea.

"When it was designed and built the current's were way more than thought, and that's how it pulled apart. All it did was collect rubbish however. Shame really."