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Fountain to be turned off
Sunday 1st November 2009, 4:30AM GMT.
Wolverhampton’s new centrepiece water fountain will be switched off for four months over winter – amid fears grit will cause it to corrode.
The £300,000 fountain was unveiled just weeks ago following months of delays.
But council bosses today revealed that it would be shut down in November, and not restarted until around March next year due to potential problems with winter weather.
They say there is a risk that rock salt used for gritting during winter could get into the workings.
Health and safety fears over people slipping over on ice if the water jets freeze have also been blamed for the shutdown.
Councillor Malcolm Gwinnett, chair of Wolverhampton council’s planning committee, said: “I don’t believe this. It is making the council look like a bunch of clowns.
“It already made us a laughing stock over the time it took and it is going to be shut all through the winter.”
The fountain features temperature sensors which shut it down automatically if the temperature is too low.
But Councillor Paddy Bradley, portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “Realistically it cannot be kept on during the coldest months.
“It would not be safe to have it working when there is a risk of frost and ice.”
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If this was the plan in the first place, why wasn’t it mentioned when the fountain was opened? Surely the Council communicatons team should have considered this as part of the potential bad PR for a long delayed town centre display?
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What a waste of space. Just as you think the council cannot make things worse they do by demonstrating incompetence, lack of forward thinking and a continuous desire to waste our money. £300,000 for that. The dawm housing allocation system is not even running yet and that was due in April. Hundreds of properties ready to be tenanted but no tenants are permitted yet, not rent – no revenue – Poor balance sheet.
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meant to say “tenants are not permitted to move in yet. Hence, no rent – no revenue – poor balance sheet
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How much hard earned tax payers money has been wasted in the West Midlands on pointless projects. As a part time cyclist the Cycle lanes to nowhere are amazing and at what cost.
Do we really give a mandate for waste lies and corruption every time we vote. Where has common sense gone or did Blairs Tent set the benchmark that others have to follow.
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our glorious leader keeps on harping on about global warming sorry (climate change)sorry tax revenue i would have thought it would be warm enough in the winter to keep it running
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Why not start building an ice rink now. So they can shut it down in April, just as it gets too warm. Dohhh!
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So you spend £300k on some water jets that can’t be used during the winter! Can I have a job please? I’m sure given half the chance I could waste money too. Especially if I get paid to do it too? How about an outdoor ice rink in St peters square? We could turn it off during the summer and blame the heat of the sun. See, I am more than qualified!!!
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For once the Councillor is right – but the real joke is that the taxpayers of Wolverhampton already know that they are all a bunch of clowns !!!
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The statement “Councillor Malcolm Gwinnett, chair of Wolverhampton council’s planning committee, said: “I don’t believe this. It is making the council look like a bunch of clowns.”
How True it is.
How do fountains keep going in countries which are alot colder than here?
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I’m sure there must be towns that are able to run fountains all year round – why did the council not look at them?
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Councillor Gwinnett; Wolverhampton City Council are a bunch of clowns, and it is the votes of you and your party – the Lib Dems – that chose to put the Tories in office whilst Wolverhampton stagnates. It is your votes that are keeping the Tories in office. All in the Lib Dems hands now!
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If the public weren’t out to sue the council at every opportunity they get then maybe they would be able to trust the temperature sensors and keep it on over winter. The prospect of the public “slipping” is enough for them to air on the side of caution. Not a waste of money by the council but a small minority of the community spoiling it for the rest of us!
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Oh I laughed out loud, sitting here at my PC!
You couldn’t make it up could you?
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Just typical of this town isn’t it.
I’m guessing the problem is with the design – grit off the roads can easily get into the pipes (along with any other rubbish) because there is no barrier between the jets and the road/pedestrian area.
And as there is no barrier and the water is not contained anywhere, it becomes a slip hazard. Ridiculous design, but did we expect any more?
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I think its a fair point.
For a start if it does get damaged or if someone does slip over and sues then it will cost the tax payer a damm site more.
Also having it switched off over a period when most will be too cold to care is a damm site better than the shambles of a fountain in Walsall that is permanently switched off now.
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Pah, no big deal. Hardly worth getting worked up about is it? So it’s shut of for a few months. So what? Surely there must be some real news out there worth reporting?
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Another classic example of the level of intelligence of Wolverhampton folk nowadays…and some people still wander why the town is a complete laughing stock the rest of the country, i just congratulate myself for leaving years ago!
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The council in Wolverhampton have done more damage to the town over the last four years than any time in its history.The town(not worthy of City status)is fast becoming a ghost town and a no go area for decent people.Traders are leaving in their droves,while councillors feather their own caps and make stupid decisions
which are in no ones interest.
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Walsall’s ‘showpiece’ fountain hasn’t worked since shortly after it was built – such things are to be expected with Walsall Council but I always thought Wolves had more sense!
Has there been an exodus of incompetent council workers from Britain’s worst town to Wolverhampton?
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Ridiculous! if they’re going to spend 300k of taxpayers money on a needless luxury then surely it should be built in such a manner tht it can be used through out the year, especially when “special displays are planned for events such as Christmas and New Year”. Besides, if you look at the fountains, i can’t realistically see how they could be affected by grit. Utter shambles.
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Torquay Man – I am fed up with you commenting about Wolverhampton – you made your choice to leave so leave! I don’t live in Wolverhampton but what right have you to judge?
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21 Lulu you really have come down in the world if you now live in Wolverhapton…enough to make anyone want to shout!…seriously though i can only presume you are either a council worker or a typical do- gooder with rose tinted glasses that thinks Wolverhampton is good.
Until people like you se the reality of how bad wolverhampton is and the changes that need to be made the place will never improve.
I am an ex-wulfrunian that has seen the decline of what was once a proud town to the state of anarchy that exists today which gives me every right to voice an opinion, truth hurts eh?
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lulu dont bite torquay man lives in bilston hes just a troll
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Torquay Man – you have proved my point – read my comment again. I state that I do NOT live in Wolverhampton. That about sums you up really.
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“I am an ex-wulfrunian that has seen the decline of what was once a proud town to the state of anarchy that exists today”
Ha ha ha! Read that in the daily mail did you? Aaah bless, probably you best stay down in God’s waiting room then. Wouldn’t want you scared by all the nasty men in Wolverhampton. Aah diddums. Right, I’m off to pillage some breakfast.
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perhaps the same people were involved with students accomadation/carvers gas store or even more worring our now infamous red route???
perhaps even related to the people who invented “the public” worrying times.
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