Diana Memorial Woes Get Official Inquiry

LONDON – A British Parliament committee took government officials to task in early November concerning problems with the Hyde Park fountain built in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.
CNN reported that the Public Accounts Committee learned the granite fountain, beset by several operating troubles since opening in July 2004, also ended up going $3.9 million over budget.
Committee chairman Edward Leigh noted the inflated budget when grilling several government officers, adding: “Why did it end up like a muddy bog after the first couple of weeks?”
Mark Camley, Royal Parks chief executive said the large numbers of visitors hadn’t been anticipated and a major storm shortly after the opening caused additional problems.
Leaves blocked the fountain’s flow the day after it opened, causing a broken pump. Two weeks later, a spate of tourists slipping in the fountain itself forced the first closing of the monument.
Repairs at that time including the texturing of the stone surface; then, after reopening the fountain, visitors were banned from walking in the ring of flowing water – although the memorial’s designed for people to do exactly that.
The memorial closed again this January when the surrounding area turned into a mud slog. The new work, at an additional cost of $572,000, included a hardy ryegrass turf, enhanced drainage and other alterations to prevent debris being trapped in the fountain.
The fountain includes 520 tons of Cornwall granite shaped in a rounding watercourse that’s 668.9’ in circumference, with an original budget of $6.6 million. The fountain’s operations are overseen by Royal Parks, a government arm that administers 5,000 acres of urban parkland in London, as well as other sites including the garden at 10 Downing Street, the official residence of Prime Minister Tony Blair.