April 22 2013

A bout of infighting within Glasgow City Council has reignited the George Square debate after the city’s own chief architect, Kerr Robertson, broke his silence on the issue to allege improper conduct during the disastrous competition.

In a strongly worded statement, presented to the Public Standards Commission by the RIAS, Robertson alleges that Gordon Matheson breached the code of conduct as a councillor during the abortive £15m George Square design contest.

Specifically Matheson is accused of attempting to coerce staff, improper bias and improper interference in the procurement process, charges which could see Matheson suspended or disqualified from public office if upheld.

Critically Robertson has chosen to go on record with his assertion that he had been informed six weeks prior to the competition that his then boss would ‘be allowed to choose the winning design’.

Robertson further claims that he was given the specific task of ensuring that ‘other jury members would fall in line with this’... contravening EU procurement legislation.

Robertson, who designed the RSNO’s new HQ on Killermont Street, retired from his post recently, leading supporters of Matheson to claim that the architect bears a ‘grudge’.

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