Princess Diana memorial fountain under fire

Nov 3, 2005, 16:24 GMT

The Princess Diana memorial fountain has been branded a complete "balls-up" by a British politician.

The development came under fire at a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, which heard the monument went over budget by £2.2 million - and became a "muddy bog" when it opened.

The beleaguered fountain - erected in London's Hyde Park to commemorate the much-loved princess - was originally supposed to cost £3 million, but costs spiralled to £5.2 million after a series of teething issues.

Since Queen Elizabeth opened the granite moat in July 2004 it has been plagued by leaf blockages, marshy grass and slippery stones - which have forced it to close three times.

Thousands of tourists have also descended on the site, which initially allowed visitors to paddle in the water, turning into a virtual mud-bath. However, after several tourists slipped and injured themselves people were banned from going in the water.

Committee chair, Edward Leigh, asked why the area had become a quagmire, saying: "Why did it end up like a muddy bog after the first couple of  weeks?"

Tory MP Richard Bacon questioned why planners didn't realise they needed something stronger than grass to cope with thousands of visitors.

He asked Dame Sue Street, the Department for Culture Media and Sport permanent secretary, if she had a lawn and said: "If you had 5,000 people a day walking on it and spraying it with water, would you expect it to be in good condition or turn into a quagmire?"

"What amazes me is that even something that is a great success, your department has managed to balls-up."

Labour MP Sadiq Khan called the commemorative monument a "fiasco" and criticised officials for underestimating the crowds that would flock to the site to remember Diana, who tragically died in a car crash in 1997. He said: "I find it implausible that nobody said lots of people want to go to the memorial."

The committee also heard the fountain costs approximately £250,000 a year to
run.

Labour MP Alan Williams said: "That seems quite high for something that's a static exhibit. It works out at £700 a day."

Dame Street confessed she regretted that visitor numbers had been under-estimated.

She explained: "Coach loads of children arriving in their swimming trunks had not been envisaged."

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