A BATTLE has broken out over the future of the National Wallace Monument after bosses accused council leaders of forcing them out.
Hundreds of thousands of people visit the 150-year-old attraction every year on the trail of the legendary leader.
The council-owned landmark has been in the hands of Stirling District Tourism (SDT) since 1995.
It was set up by the former Stirling District Council to manage local assets.
But yesterday its chair, Zillah Jamieson, accused Stirling Council of sabotaging the heritage site by axing its lease.
This run of the lease is set to end in November, and Jamieson said SDT had offered to pay 100% more rent to retain its role.
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Now it has emerged that councillors voted not to renew the 25-year-old arrangement after an external consultant said it no longer provides “best value” for ratepayers.
Every local authority is legally bound to ensure all contracts meet that standard.
The tower, visitor centre, coffee shop, and their 30 staff will be transferred to the local authority, an arm’s-length external organisation, or another partner before the year is out – unless SDT makes an acceptable offer.
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “These decisions have been based on evidence provided by a nationally-recognised external consultancy firm, and we are confident they will give Stirling Council the power to reposition the monument for the benefit of Stirling’s citizens.
“In addition to making sure it provides best value, we also believe it should act as the stimulus to support the broader tourism economy and local supply chain and Stirling Council has bold plans for its future.
“In the meantime, with the current lease running until November 28, work will continue to deliver a plan to protect staff during this transition period.” However Jamieson accused the Labour-SNP authority of damaging the nationally-significant site.
She said: “This decision has been taken by Stirling Council for reasons which we believe are not in the best interests of the monument, and which will be detrimental to its future as one of Stirling’s most important heritage properties.”
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She went on: “SDT’s overriding priority will now be to protect the interests of the charity’s employees, whose commitment to The National Wallace Monument has enabled the attraction to become internationally renowned.”
An insider told The National the relationship between SDT and the council had “broken down to the point where they weren’t responding to requests from officers”, stating: “They have not been wanting to play ball.”
A second source said: “This has been discussed for months, but we held our water because it’s not something you want to throw out into the public domain.
“If SDT comes up with another offer it will be considered.”
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