BUCKS: High Wycombe's fountains could be "cursed"

10:34am Tuesday 29th April 2008

A former High Wycombe mayor has branded the town as "cursed" after its latest water feature broke down for the second time.

The cylindrical fountain inside Eden stopped working at the weekend following another break down, just weeks after the shopping centre's grand opening.

Eden's water feature going down the drain has dealt another blow to High Wycombe's historical fountain farce, which started after Frogmoor's fountain packed up just hours after it was opened in 2005.

The £100,000 water feature has sat lifeless ever since.

Nigel Vickery, 49, mayor from 2001-02, said: "I think we're cursed. I don't understand why we cannot possibly get water features to work. They work in Aylesbury.

"There's something against us having a water feature."

Mr Vickery, a chef at Buckinghamshire New University, added: "On a number of occasions I have walked past it to go to the bus station and it's not been working. I would say it's comical."

Readers of our website have also added their voice to the fountain debate.

Ivor said: "The Eden fountain is a non-event rather like the shopping centre. We need a proper fountain on Frogmoor."

Town Cryer from Wycombe added: "Let's have a ducking pond and stick some of the councillors who are messing up our town in it."

Wycombe District Council, which is responsible for Frogmoor's fountain, says it has plans to redevelop the area around it, but their proposals are being held up by a report into transport issues.

Catherine Spalton, council spokesman, said: "Before we progress with more work on a new design for the public space, the county council has agreed to carry out some work investigating opportunities for different traffic management arrangements and routings in the area.

"We are currently waiting for information from the county council as to when they will carry out this work."

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