Taking Public Art Forward.

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A decision made (04/02/2008) regarding: Taking Public Art Forward.

Decision Ref:	MD–PE–2008-0024
Subject:	Taking Public Art Forward
Decision Summary Title:	DS – taking pfa forward
DS Author:	Kevin Pilley, Assistant Director
DS Date:	04 February 2008	DS Status:	Public
Written Report Title:	WR – Taking Public Art Forward
WR Author:	Kevin Pilley, Assistant Director
WR Date	21 January 2008	WR Status:	Exempt 3.2.1(b)
Oral Rapporteur:	Kevin Pilley, Assistant Director
Decision(s):	The Minister for Planning and Environment determined that; there was an urgent need for assistance to be provided to the development industry to enable the delivery of public art in association with development schemes, and that this assistance should not be held pending the preparation of a Public Art Strategy; an appointment to the role of Public Art Advisor should not be made but that the Department should use the experience gained in seeking expressions of interest to provide contacts to the development industry of those who might be able to provide them with assistance in the procurement of public art through the Percentage for Art mechanism (this decision, therefore, supersedes that made on 03 Dec 2007 [MD-PE-2007-0273] to directly appoint an advisor to P&E, to be funded by a 10% ‘top-slice’ of PfA contributions); on the basis of the decision at 2, a Public Art Advisor would not be appointed by the Planning and Environment Department, but that the Department would simply seek to refer the development industry to those potentially able to assist them, based on those people/agencies who expressed an interest in the role of Public Art Advisor. The Department would prepare and maintain a list of recommended advisors. It would thus rest with the developer as to whether he/she wished to engage the services of an advisor and/or whether they wished to source other professional help; the development of a Public Art Strategy would be of benefit and that the Planning and Environment Department should contribute towards the development and adoption of this in partnership with Education, Sport and Culture, who would lead the initiative; the principle of Percent for Art would be encouraged as an integral part of States-sponsored and other public capital projects but that the Minister would seek to ensure, by agreement with the sponsoring Minister or other public agency, that the wider public benefit of the scheme was taken into consideration and that the extent of contribution was determined accordingly.
Reason(s) for Decision:	There is a pressing need for the development industry to be assisted in the delivery of public art through the Percentage for Art mechanism,; There is a pressing need for the development industry to be assisted in the delivery of public art through the Percentage for Art mechanism that is most simply and best delivered by a direct contractual relationship between a professional advisor and individual developers; There is a pressing need for the development industry to be assisted in the delivery of public art through the Percentage for Art mechanism. The Minister would remain to be advised by the ESC Public Art Panel in the determination of Percent for Art schemes; The development and adoption of a Public Art Strategy would provide a vision and framework against which the quality of public art proposals and outcomes could be assessed and measured; The extent of PfA contribution for publicly-sponsored capital projects should account for the public benefit inherent in the scheme.
Legal and resource implications:	None
Action required:	Amend the SPG: Percentage for Art (October 2007) to account for this decision, including the preparation of a list of recommended advisors; Notify those who submitted expressions of interest of the Minister’s decision; Work with ESC in the development of the Public Art Strategy.
Signature:
Position:	Minister for Planning and Environment
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different to Date Signed):