Nottingham identity handed to city council

The future of Nottingham’s identity, and the original body set up more than two years ago to oversee it, is in doubt after the handing of the project to the city council. There is still no final design in sight.

“The project is on ice at the moment,” says Alistair Eperon, who stepped down as chairman of the body, The Nottingham Partnership Forum, in April this year. He has not been replaced.

The identity project has been fraught with difficulty since five groups were shortlisted in February last year, with all their proposals rejected by May of that year (DW 3 May 1996). Fishburn Hedges was subsequently appointed and has presented concepts for the identity.

The NPF has passed Fishburn Hedges’ designs to the city council. A council spokesman also confirms that the design concepts are on ice, awaiting further decisions.

However, Alistair Eperon says the council “has not resolved the issue of how to raise the money to implement the designs”.

Meanwhile, the NPF’s staffing and agenda is under review and a restructuring is expected to be finalised by next April.

In the same month Nottingham City Council will officially be granted unitary status by the Government.

See feature, page 17