At a full meeting of council today (Thursday, 12 December), councillors approved a proposal that will retain as much of the original stonework from the local landmark as possible.
Conservation advisors have drawn up a delivery programme that would see the re-build of the city centre landmark undertaken in three phases, with the potential for completion by October 2026, at an estimated cost of £873,000.
Restoring
The C-listed Christie Clock – constructed in 1905 as a memorial to former Stirling Provost George Christie – was taken down on 1 September 2023 after attempts to remove the stonework and clock head for conservation unfortunately failed.
Stirling Council committed to a re-build of the clock in October 2023 and, in March this year, a report estimated the cost of restoring the historic structure to be £873,460.
It was agreed that further work should take place to identify more cost-effective proposals before the end of 2024 but, following analysis of options and extensive debate, councillors agreed to allocate funding to the project.
Commitment
Stirling Council Depute Leader Gerry McGarvey said: “We appreciate the strength of feeling about what happened to this much-loved clock and the detailed report discussed today by full council laid out all the costings and processes for each option.
“It was incredibly difficult situation for everyone, but there was general consensus about honouring our commitment to the people of Stirling. Not everyone will agree with our decision at a time when Stirling Council, like other local authorities, faces a significant budget shortfall.
“I understand that, but we promised the people of Stirling a full reinstatement of the Christie Clock. We had an option to safeguard the plinth and undertake a re-build at a later date. That was not an acceptable course as costs would almost certainly increase.”
The council must now apply for retrospective Listed Building Consent for the previous demolition of the clock and planning permission for the proposed reconstruction. The stonework from the clock was removed from site in September 2023 and has been kept in safe storage since.
Partners
Future updates on the progress of the works will be made to all councillors in briefings, with any decisions reported to the Finance, Economy and Corporate Support Committee.
In the aftermath of the Christie Clock dismantling, Stirling Council and the Stirling City Heritage Trust, in association with partners such as Historic Environment Scotland, produced a strategy to secure the future of Stirling’s historic assets.
It was approved last month and the Stirling Heritage Strategy 2025-2028 will protect and manage listed buildings, monuments and other important landscapes, archaeological sites and conservation areas.
The report on the Christie Clock can be viewed by downloading the agenda papers for the Council meeting here: Stirling Council meeting agenda | Stirling Council Agendas and Minutes.
A recording of the meeting can be viewed here: https://stirling.public-i.tv/core/portal/home