AN HISTORIC fountain being saved by new council chiefs after a public campaign should be moved to a different park, a councillor has claimed.

Councillor Pete West, Green environment and transport spokesman said the Mazda Fountain would be better off relocated to Queen’s Park or Hove Lagoon than retained in the revamped Valley Garden project in Brighton.

Coun West has also raised questions about the annual cost to taxpayers of retaining the 80-year-old fountain, which his party claims is twice as expensive to run as their proposed modern replacements and needs £30,000 investment in its lighting.

The councillor was responding to an announcement by the new Labour administration that they had reversed the previous Green administration’s plans to remove the fountain from Valley Gardens during its £18 million transport overhaul.

The Valley Gardens project has become a priority of the new council administration with Labour claiming he had “listened to the people” in retaining the fountain following a campaign to save it.

Coun West said: “Its current position obstructs planned footways and cycle paths, it is very expensive to maintain and operate and, when it’s working, it soaks anyone downwind within 50m. “It was designed to sit in a lake, not in a park and might be better if it were relocated to a local pond such as at Queen’s Park or Hove Lagoon.

“Meanwhile Labour need to answer how much the running costs will come to and who will pay, given there is currently no revenue budget for it?”

Green party councillors at Brighton and Hove City Council also welcomed the decision to continue with the project but warned that “late-in-the-day” revisions were “ill-informed, unaffordable and may undermine the scheme’s original vision”.

The party also dismissed accusations by the Labour administration that they did not give the major project enough consideration.

Coun West said: “Contrary to Labour’s claims, our Green administration was very focussed on this project. “It has taken years of work, including public consultations, to get to this point and the business case has been highly commended.

“It’s a visionary scheme which will transform this green space and is vital route to the seafront, making it more attractive, accessible and effective both as a park and as a transport corridor.”

MULTI-MILLION POUND SCHEME

THE Valley Gardens scheme will see an overhaul of the centre of Brighton from St Peter’s Church down to the Aquarium Roundabout.

A total of £8 million has already been secured from the Coast-to-Capital Local Enterprise Partnership with a further £6 million also promised while Brighton and Hove City Council will have to find approximately £4 million for the scheme.

The project in its current design would restrict general traffic to two northbound lanes and two southbound lanes on the east side of the junction.

A dedicated cycle lane would also be included.

The west-sided roadway would be restricted to use by buses and taxis.

The project would also see an overhaul of the green space in between the two roadways, increased tree planting, new fountains and increased walking routes for pedestrians.

BACKGROUND

The Mazda fountain was donated to Brighton in 1930 by the Thompson-Houston company following an exhibition.

The name Mazda does not relate to the Japanese car manufacturer but a trade name for tungsten-filament electric light bulbs.

The fountain is capable of shooting water up to 35 feet high and in the past was illuminated by multi- coloured bulbs at night.

It was out of action for a decade through the 90s with Brighton and Hove City Council spending £40,000 to bring it back spurting into life in 2000.