Fountain ready to return to hall?

Controversial plans to relocate a historic fountain to Spalding’s Ayscoughfee Gardens look set to be approved.

South Holland District Council wants to re-erect the Johnson Fountain in the gardens despite calls for it to be put in the town centre.

The fountain, which no longer works, was in the gardens but dismantled in 2018 to make room for the new war memorial.

The council wants to put it within the ‘paddling pool’ feature in the gardens.

But the plans were initially met with a barrage of opposition, mostly from the town’s civic society.

It has submitted a list of objections ranging from the ‘limited consultation’ to the ‘missed, heritage-led regeneration opportunities’.

It wants the fountain to be put in the town centre where it started life in Hall Place from 1874 to 1956 when it was moved to the gardens.

But Historic England, consulted by the council over the application, has no objections.

There was also seven objections from four local residents with issues raised including wanting the fountain put in the town centre and have it working again.

In response to an accusation by the Civic Society that there was a lack of ‘specialist advice,’ the council pointed out the author of the impact statement was someone with an MA in architectural conservation, a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists and a member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.

“The Civic Society claims it was immaterial that the fountain was situated in Ayscoughfee Hall Gardens since 1950s. It is not immaterial,” says the report to go before members of the planning committee on Wednesday.

Members of the committee are recommended to accept the resubmitted proposal to rebuild the fountain in the hall gardens.

One of the planning conditions is that within a month of the fountain being re-installed, a conservation report should be submitted and approved.

Ayscoughfee Hall is Grade I listed and was donated by the Bonner Family.