Renfrewshire Council forced to hand back fountain cash

Posted 6th October 2011

October 4th 2011

CASH-STRAPPED council chiefs have pleaded with Historic Scotland for funding to help restore Paisley’s Fountain Gardens to their former glory ... just three years after they knocked back its offer of a £167,000 grant towards the revamp.

Renfrewshire Council persuaded the government agency to award them the six-figure sum back in 2008 as they planned to refurbish the rundown fountain, which is a ‘Category A’ listed landmark.

But the total cost of fixing the ornate 30-foot-tall sculpture is estimated at around £675,000 and council bosses failed to secure enough cash from other sources to meet the bill.

Now they have submitted a fresh bid for funding from Historic Scotland in the hope the restoration work can finally go ahead.




The move comes after a new focus group – the Friends of the Fountain Gardens – was formed to draw up an action plan to save the park from terminal decline.

A Renfrewshire Council spokesman said: “In 2008, the council was offered a grant from Historic Scotland to renovate the Fountain Gardens. The grant represented about a quarter of the estimated repair costs.

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible at the time to take advantage of the grant because match funding wasn’t available and the grant was withdrawn.

“The fountain is currently fenced off for safety reasons as the fixings are badly corroded but Renfrewshire Council is committed to restoring the Category A Listed fountain and we are actively seeking financial assistance to make this a reality.

“The council is always willing to work with local and community-based groups where doing so can help to achieve its aims.

“We are committed to renovating the Fountain Gardens and a new grant application has been submitted to Historic Scotland.”

As part of the council’s vision for restoring the fountain to its former glory, it hopes to involve local companies who want to improve their skills base in traditional construction techniques.

The Fountain Gardens were gifted to Paisley by mill magnate Thomas Coats back in 1868 and, for decades, they were a much-loved recreation ground for people living in the North End of town and beyond.

Its iconic cast-iron fountain, which features statues of herons, dolphins and walruses, became one of Paisley’s favourite landmarks, with generations of kids spending hot summers splashing about in its waters.

Now its famous walruses sit in an empty basin without their tusks, while the fountain itself has been caged off.

In recent years, the gardens have been plagued by under-age drinkers and vandals.

Now Councillor Mike Dillon and members of two local tenants groups have formed the Friends of the Fountain Gardens in the hope that the park can be restored.

Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government and is charged with safeguarding the nation’s historic environment.

A spokesperson for Historic Scotland said: “We have been working closely with Renfrewshire Council since 2006 when we carried out our first full condition evaluation, including a paint and historical assessment on the Fountain Gardens. We also carried out an update evaluation in June this year.

“We have had discussions with Glasgow Metropolitan College and Renfrewshire Council on a second funding attempt from various sources, including Historic Scotland, and advised how the college’s painting and decorative craft department could become involved in building on our previous research to complete the decoration of the fountain, if the council secure funding.”

article courtesy of by Andy Newport, Paisley Daily Express - www.paisleydailyexpress.co.uk