Artist’s impressions of the fountains which are set to be a replacement for the at-threat Mazda Fountain have been released.
The drawings are included in a new planning application submitted by Brighton and Hove City Council giving details of the landscaping of the Valley Gardens revamp.
The scheme, which has been given £8m of government funding, will see traffic re-routed from St Peter’s to the seafront – with a subsequent currently unfunded phase also replacing the Aquarium roundabout.
Work is due to begin this summer, but in the meantime, more than 1,000 people signed a petition calling on the council to save the Mazda fountain, which is due to be removed as part of the works.
Sarah Booker-Lewis, who started the petition, said: “It is laughable the council says the Mazda Fountain has no intrinsic link to Brighton and then seeks to replace it with something similar to The Level fountains. Even less of a link to the city.
“The planting looks adequate but I wonder if it will decline as no money has been put aside.
“It looks as though the concrete pot opposite the fountain is also going.
“Such a shame to see Brighton’s heritage lost in pursuit of the shiny and new.”
The planning document describes the new fountains thus: “The St Peter’s fountain (chlorinated) forms the start of a sequence of water features through the Gardens.
“This feature would be computer-animated providing a sense of spectacle and delight, temporal in nature, and also enabling other uses in the square when off.”
The scheme has been opposed by Brighton and Hove’s Labour group over concerns it will impact on the city’s overall transport budget.
But following the acceptance of the goverment funding, it looks set to go ahead whatever the result of next month’s elections.
(hat tip – the wonderful Brighton Bits blog)
They look horrid.
How VERY 1990’s ..
Absolutely – it looks like a dozen other naff water features that were added to public spaces in places like Bristol and Cardiff for the ‘millenium’, back when public sector money grew on trees. Bland smooth aluminium. Absolutely no connection with Brighton’s Regency architecture whatsoever.
Haha – they’re having a laugh, surely? What an eyesore – I wonder who designed this – it’s really unpleasant!
Some people will moan about everything. I think the plans look great and am really looking forward to the redevelopment of Valley Gardens, including the removal of the ugly Mazda fountain.
rhe Mazda fountain is really exceptionally ugly, turned on or off, I’m glad that we’re not so focussed on preserving the old regardless of merit – and it really has none.
The new designs are great I can’t wait to see them In the flesh.
Will you be taking showers there Miles?
A sense of spectacle and delight…..the same as water features in meant cities,and usually not working.
Temporal in nature….who came up with that?
Enabling other uses in the square when off….which will probably be most of the time.An expanse of concrete.
It has no merit whatsoever.Come on,surely Brighton can do better than this?