acting on a report in january 2009, the city council recommended that "b of the bang" should be dismantled and placed in storage until funds could be raised for its safe reinstatement. the report recognised the sculpture's aesthetic value for manchester and manchester city council committed itself to working with the artist to reach a long-term solution. one possibility involved the replacement of the steel spikes with alternatives made from carbon fibre, although the report underlined the necessity for extensive testing.