Costs delay gallery revamp

THE “ambitious” £17 million overhaul of the Scottish National Gallery is to be scaled back and delayed amid fears costs are spiralling.

The U-turn will delay the Edinburgh venue’s opening by a year to 2020 and see plans for a 16ft extension into East Princes Street Gardens scrapped.

National Galleries of Scotland director-general Sir John Leighton said: “This is about cost and risk. The tender costs for this took us beyond what was justifiable or affordable. There was so much risk, in the end, it is just about sensible governance.

“All projects go through adjustments and you have to realign and recalibrate. You have to think about delivering the main plan as well as value for money.”

In March the galleries said work had been delayed as engineering issues were assessed.