There are three fountains in this group that are located in a pool to the west of Marble Arch. A plaque, on a footpath along the eastern edge of the pool, reads:
"City of Westminster / This fountain was built / by the London County Council / in 1961/1962 and restored by the / City of Westminster . / It was recommissioned on 18th June 2009 by / Cllr. Colin Barrow CBE / Leader of the Council / in association with / Thames Water, The New West End Company, / Transport for London and / The Royal Parks."
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For the past 2 years Peter Brown, the Chairman of the Fountain Society, has been working firstly with Design for London, the Mayor’s office and about 15 local authorities and arts organisations and latterly with Westminster Council, to adapt a major restored fountain at Marble Arch into an Olympic monument celebrating all the British Gold Medal winners since 1896.
The system proposed is re-circulating to reduce the water loss to a minimum.
The site would offer drinking fountains in line with plans by London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, to reduce the financial and environmental cost of bottled water.
Westminster Council is introducing pedestrian crossings to this island site, increasing the number of visitors tenfold to enjoy the fountain. It is the starting point for many open top bus tours, and thousands of UK and overseas tourists go past Marble Arch every day.
This Monument, celebrating all British gold medal Olympians since the first games in 1896 and the Paraplegic games since 1960, has the enthusiastic support of the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association and would benefit residents, visitors and sports enthusiasts from around the world by providing a major new destination site available 24/7. It is proposed to floodlight the fountain at night.
This roll of honour would be accessed via user-friendly keyboards, to appeal to younger visitors, and, as this nation is rather good at team events, will list over 700 Olympians and Paralympians who dreamt, practiced, strove for and achieved gold medals. In addition, each winner’s name will be displayed on a continuous loop presentation screen for one minute every day.
Westminster Council have almost completed the restoration of the major three basin fountain on the West Island at Marble Arch and hope to have it available for public enjoyment by June 2009.
Unfortunately, after 21 months negotiation with Peter and the Fountain Society, Westminster don’t feel it right to enhance this site as a Gold Medal Olympians fountain. The committee are therefore searching for an alternative site to commemorate all the 700 plus British Gold Medal Olympian and Paralympian winners since 1896.
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