Duchy say that Poundbury 'ugly' fountain should be green

The water fountain, based in Bowes-Lyon Place off Queen Mother Square in Poundbury, had previously been slated by residents for its ‘ugly’ appearance.

Built using what appears to be cast stone sometime during 2022, the fountain has weathered turning from a cream colour to a dark green.

One local resident said: “Developers should look into cleaning the fountain because it’s been badly weathered for months now and has turned into this ugly green colour that is such an eye sore.”

A local added: “With so much development going on in the area, it feels like these details are being neglected. I would clean it myself if I was allowed.”

Another resident added that the sight ‘does not represent the image one pictures of Poundbury.’

The Duchy of Cornwall are the landowners in Poundbury and are responsible for non-adopted items on their property.

Speaking at the Poundbury Resident’s Association’s Annual General Meeting, Duchy estate development manager, Jason Bowerman, said there are no plans to clean the fountain.

Mr Bowerman said that he has had people ask him about the maintenance of the fountain over the past few months.

He said: “It’s not going to be cleaned, we know at the moment it is rather an ugly green but it’s coming on so we would ask you to be patient with us.”

He added that the fountain is ‘not designed to look pristine.’

When members of the association were asked to raise questions and concerns to Mr Bowerman at the meeting, one man stood up and asked whether the bottom steps of the fountain could be cleaned, as they saw it as a ‘safety hazard,’ arguing that people could fall as the steps are slippery.

Upon hearing this question, Mr Bowerman replied that the fountain is ‘being monitored’ saying that it ‘may be necessary to clean the lower steps’ following a review of the site.

The fountain is one of three in the complex that the Duchy are responsible for, with the other features based on Longmoor Street and Victor Jackson Avenue.