Stirling council approves plans to rebuild 'much-loved' city clock for nearly £1m

Stirling Council has approved plans to rebuild the historic Christie Clock, which will cost nearly £1m.

In August 2023, structural engineers inspected the 117-year-old Christie Memorial Clock as part of a routine maintenance regime and found it to be unstable.

Stirling Council said the structure’s lack of stability resulted in the demolition of both the clock head and tower on September 1, 2023.

Locals criticised the destruction of the C-list clock and claimed it had been removed with no warning.

In August 2023, structural engineers inspected the 117-year-old Christie Memorial Clock as part of a routine maintenance regime and found it to be unstable. Stirling Council

On Thursday, councillors approved a proposal to retain” as much of the original stonework from the local landmark as possible.”

The clock’s stonework, which was constructed in 1905 as a memorial to former Stirling Provost George Christie, was removed from the site and kept in safe storage.

Conservation advisors have drawn up plans for rebuilding the city centre landmark in three phases, with the potential completion by October 2026. The estimated cost is £873,000.

Stirling Council depute leader Gerry McGarvey said it was an “incredibly difficult situation” but said there was a general consensus among the council about honouring its 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,” he said.

“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.

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.