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Where will £873k for Stirling’s Christie Clock rebuild come from?

A decision on how to fund the near-£1 million restoration of the Christie Clock will be made in February.

The treasured Christie Clock was torn down last year. Image: Barry Hughes
The treasured Christie Clock was torn down last year. Image: Barry Hughes

Stirling Council has agreed to a full reinstatement of the city’s treasured Christie Clock, at a cost of £873,460.

The 117-year-old memorial was torn down in September 2023, to the horror of locals.

When presented with four options for the landmark’s future, councillors rejected a delay in reinstatement and replicating some or all of the design with new stonework.

These carried bills of £33,800, £827,850 and £808,753 respectively.

Officials made the decision to restore the column and clock head with as much of the existing stonework as possible.

But this has left many locals wondering how the costly repair will be funded.

What has Stirling Council said?

The Courier asked Stirling Council to outline its options for meeting the Christie Clock rebuild cost, and when this will be decided.

A spokesperson said: “As the report to council clearly stated, options to fund the reinstatement of the Christie Clock include re-prioritising the council’s capital programme, using council reserves, or through prudential borrowing.

“The funding allocation will be fully determined at the council’s budget setting meeting, currently scheduled for February 27.”

Only the plinth of the Christie Clock is still standing. Image: Isla Glen/DC Thomson

Once this decision is taken, the restoration process can begin.

It is hoped the Christie Clock will return to the city centre by 2026.

What does the £873k cost cover?

Stirling Council must appoint specialist conservation consultants and contractors to repair the Christie Clock.

Rebuild option one, which was selected, should cost £678,460, with an additional £95,000 in fees.

A £100,000 contingency is also included.

The Christie Clock was found to be unstable. Image: Barry Hughes

The cost estimates includes:

  • Conservation work for each element
  • New carving work
  • Supply and cutting of stone
  • Repair and replacement of clock and mechanism
  • Other components
  • Works to rebuild the clock tower
  • Site supervision
  • Cranes
  • Traffic management
  • Site management

Why wasn’t the cheapest option chosen?

The cheapest option presented to councillors, estimated at £33,800, was to delay the repair of the Christie Clock.

This would have involved preserving the plinth with a bespoke capping piece to prevent further water ingress and weathering.

It would also have been cleaned and repointed.

The Christie Clock being demolished. Image: Barry Hughes

While this option was backed by Green councillor Alasdair Tollemache and independent Alasdair MacPherson, other officials voted for a full reinstatement.

There were concerns that Historic Environment Scotland or the Scottish Government would fine Stirling Council and order the reinstatement, meaning a higher overall cost.

Council officers also highlighted that inflation would raise the cost further if the project was delayed.

Where will the money come from?

The capital programme spends public money on new assets and maintaining projects.

For example, in the 2024-25 budget, Stirling’s capital programme included investment in education, roads and bridges, technology improvements and City Region Deal projects.

The prudential framework for capital finance governs local authority borrowing, and ensures councils take a prudent approach to borrowing to meet their local needs.

If prudential borrowing is chosen, this will accrue a 6% additional charge of any capital cost.

And reserves – which are funds set aside for unexpected costs – must not be left depleted.

Whichever choice is made, the council must consider the Medium Term Financial Strategy, which was approved at a full meeting of Stirling Council on December 12.

This addressed a budget shortfall of £51 million, and revealed that an increase in council tax for 2025-26 is likely.


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