St Laurence’s Church Fountain
Always a nice moment when conflicting agendas collide and something good comes of it for everyone. During the ‘questions from the public and councillors’ section of an edgy and rancorous Reading Borough Council (RBC) policy committee on 24 September, councillor Tony Page seemed to suggest that St Laurence’s drinking fountain could flow again.
The comment came in response to questions from green councillor Rob White about the provision of public drinking fountains in parks in Reading. Replying to Rob White’s supplementary question [at 0:34:13] about whether community infrastructure levy (CIL) would be available to be spent on drinking water fountains in parks, Tony Page said that the recent consultation on the neighbourhood portion of CIL included a proposal to restore St Laurence’s Church drinking fountain (the ‘dog fountain’) and went on to hint that it may flow again.
The listed St Laurence’s fountain is one of many twinned with the Whitley Pump and the Whitley Pump would be very happy to see it being used again for the purpose for which it was intended.
28 September 2018 at 1.10 pm
It’s a nice idea, except for the cost, I believe there is £25,000 ear marked for this. I don’t think given the state of the finance at RBC, and the pressing need for many more important improvements to the town’s infrastructure, that this would be good value.