Letters to the Hull Daily Mail

A Hull citizen objects

...I note that the council is forking out £140,000 towards the cost of replacing the Park Avenue fountain, as it lashed out a similarly high amount on the Westbourne Avenue fountain.

This can only come from taxpayers, an absolute minimum of whom have any interest whatsoever in any of these fountains...there is far more urgent refurbishment work to be done than appeasing the whims of the Avenues residents.

The problem with these residents is they think they are a special breed. If they are so desperate for fountains to enhance their way of life, they should foot the bill themselves.

Some FACTS in reply from the Avenues Ward councillors

...your correspondent has got the facts completely wrong.

The fountain in Park Avenue was damaged in a traffic accident...Hull City Council's insurance claim has finally been settled. The money received from this claim will completely cover the cost of the repairs.

As councillors for Avenue ward, we intend to investigate the possibility of reinstalling fountains in Victoria and Marlborough Avenues.

If this happens, a small proportion of the cost would come from the Community Initiatives Budget, a fund available to all wards in the city ... not council tax or Kingston Communications windfall.
Cllrs John Robinson, Simone Butterworth, Dave Woods

Support for the fountains from Hessle (nr Hull)

I am writing in reply to Mr X's insular comments regarding the Avenues residents being a "special breed"...We are all on this earth for a very short time and it is our responsibility, if not to improve, then at least preserve the heritage that we find around us, to pass on to future generations.

If what Mr X says is true, that there are very few people in Hull interested in the restoration of these beautiful fountains, then, sadly, that makes their campaign even more important.

It is also less likely that the city will ever reach top 10 status if the majority of its residents have little interest in the preservation of their heritage.

The Residents' voice:
Chair of the Residents Association

...No council tax money was used for the repair of Westbourne avenue fountain and the proposed fountain structures for Marlborough and Victoria Avenues are to be funded from the Lottery and our local community budget.

If...our concern about this Victoria conservation area makes us a special breed then we are proud to be so.