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Boris’s pledge for drinking fountains in parks runs dry
Katharine Barney, City Hall Reporter28.09.09
Boris Johnson was today accused of failing to keep his promise to install water fountains in London's parks.
The Mayor ordered Sir Simon Milton, his chief of staff, to investigate sites and potential costs in June last year, saying: “If this place is generally getting hotter and people are going off buying bottled water I think we should have a new era of public fountains.”
But today it emerged that there is no money set aside to deliver the plan, despite the Mayor having allocated £6 million to improve parks across the city in a scheme called Help a London Park.
He also failed to set out plans for water fountains in his recent draft water strategy for the capital.
Darren Johnson, a member of the Green party on the London Assembly, said: “Over a year ago Boris promised a new era of public fountains. This vision unfortunately has evaporated. To date there is no visible action and his draft water strategy has no specific proposals for delivering water fountains in parks or public spaces.
“The Mayor's promise to install water fountains in parks could have easily been achieved through his Help a London Park fund.
“Currently there are no plans to install water fountains from the Mayor's park fund.
“Installing water fountains in parks and public spaces would provide free water and help discourage people from buying plastic water bottles.”
One water fountain was opened in Hyde Park last week, the first in the park for 30 years, but the lack of overall action is the latest in a series of U-turns and delays in policy by the Mayor.
Last week he was forced to admit the removal of the western extension of the congestion charge could be delayed by up to a year, and he has also said his pledge to reinstate the tidal flow at Blackwall Tunnel was proving more difficult than anticipated.
A spokeswoman for the Mayor argued that the Help a London Park programme was designed to fund measures which communities requested and that they could have chosen projects including water fountains. She said: “The Mayor is very keen on public water fountains and is exploring practical ways to promote them in a climate where many organisations are facing funding pressures.”
Reader views (13)
Wow, so City hall has done nothing but cutback on all schemes that Ken put in place, and now cannot even afford to put in a few drinking fountains.
Maybe they are looking at the gold plated ones in the brochure instead of those good old stainless steel ones.
I just did a quick google search to find a fountain for £300. Boris recently spent £238 to go 8 miles in a taxi.
Simple solution: ban the Muppet from using taxis and spend the savings on water fountains.
- Richard Atkins, London
The Children's Food Campaign found huge support for the return of drinking water fountains in our nations parks.As well as the obvious environmental benefits it is also helpful to thirsty children in avoiding the over consumption of sugary drinks.
- Jackie Schneider, London
So yet another of Boris's election promises bites the dust. Do you all still believe the hype?
- Andrew W1, London
Frank, I do hope you're a parody...
So, just another one of those pipe dreams (pun intended); Boris Johnson, we were told, was, underneath the bumbling bluster 'on the surface' a clever bloke whose true abilities would become clear after he took power. I'm beginning to see why he failed/refused to appear at any Mayoral debates, and why he still doesn't really like scrutiny very much - by the media or by the people.
You were elected by Barnet, Bromley and Bexley Boris, old chump. All you represent is is a few frankly backward-looking, London hating outer-London boroughs. Fortunately, I don't think you'll last past the next (Mayoral) elections.
- Wibble Wobble, London
Are there not enough 'Ashanti' villages popping up in parks across London without encouraging them?
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
What exactly has 'BoJo' or should I say 'Bozo' done for London?
Bring Back Ken!!!
- Cee, London
Well this is all a bit behind the times, isn't it? The Victorians - way more hip and modern than the current bunch of 'leaders' - littered London with fountains 150 years ago: can't they just be re-plumbed? Admittedly they wouldn't look cool and trendy like the obviously-expensive one in Hyde Park - and that makes it harder to claim the 'initiative' for doing it - but it would serve the dual purpose of renovating wonderful historical landmarks of London which make it stand-out amongst the world's capitals. Some people just have to reinvent the wheel!
- Roz, France
Perhaps he could scrap free transport for kids and use the money to finance the fountains, that way the little chubbers have something to drink when they walk the 2 bus stops home rather than bussing it.
- Bob, Cheam
Boris Johnson's an expert at making announcements about fantastic initiatives which aren't even his; the previous Mayor's 2008/9 GLA budget included: "Promote provision of public water fountains in public buildings and spaces throughout London."
- Helen, West London
Give the guy a break, he has not been in that long and he is making progress.
Unfortunatly all of teh health and safety and political correctness brought in by teh Labour government will create unnecsssry delay - Give borris a chanch to make change
Lok it too years for teh Labouyr goverment to complety muck up teh economy, so you can see if you need to make an effectiove job of doing anything it takes time !
- James, City of London
Another broken promise from Boris Johnson. Why is anyone surprised. Boris Johnson is a conservative he believes in selling bottled water to people, good private enterprise. He is not going to undermine that by providing free water.
- Mick, London, England
So, more plastic bottles will end up in the Thames and work there way towards that huge tip in the centre of the Pacific Ocean. Appalled at Boris who has gone back on his work so many times since election.
- Oflife, Oxford & London
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON .
The Victorians had no problem installing hundreds of drinking fountains for humans and livestock around the capital.
WHY THE HELL CAN'T WE DO THE SAME IN THE 21'st century.
Have we as people regressed back to the stone age already.
BLOODY WELL LOOKS LIKE IT TO ME.
MR (COOL,CLEAR ,FRESH WATER ) PASTRY
- Mr Pastry, london
