Camden News: South End Green fountain | Pam Gilby

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Camden News - by DAN CARRIER
Published: 8 May 2008

The South End Green fountain

Fountain runs dry in wrangle over how to keep cash flowing

IT was meant to be a set-piece restoration of a much-loved Hampstead landmark, the South End Green fountain, dry for more than 30 years.
It was repaired, at a cost of thousands, and turned back on last year to a fanfare.
But the relaxing tinkle of water spouting from the Victorian green’s centrepiece has been silenced after a Town Hall bungle.
South End Green Association chairwoman Pam Gilby, who campaigned for years to have the fountain restored, noticed the water had been turned off about a month ago. When she contacted the Town Hall to find out why, she was given a bureaucratic explanation that 1984 author George Orwell, who once lived in a flat overlooking the fountain, would have found hard to believe.
She was told the fountain had been turned off because the council’s streets department was handing over responsibility for it to the parks department – but neither team had worked out who would pay for its upkeep.
“It is all rather ridiculous after the time and effort spent to get it turned on in the first place,” she said. “As for getting the water running again, we won’t hold our breath.”
Environment chief Conservative councillor Mike Greene campaigned while in opposition to have the fountain restored and was present the day the tap was turned on. He said: “There are some administrative factors that need to be sorted out, but I can’t really expand on it more than that.
“I fully expect it to be up and running shortly,” he added. “It is a bit disappointing but it will be sorted.”

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