A VICTORIAN fountain at the eastern gateway to Oxford will not now be switched back on.
Members of Oxford City Council's east area parliament, who have abandoned plans to restore water to the fountain in the middle of The Plain, are planning to instal drinking fountains in the area instead.
Nuala Young, committee chairman, said: "We were advised by English Heritage and other people that to actually put piping and plumbing through the fountain would damage its fabric. The other reason was that, at the moment, it would be dangerous to attract people across the road at that point."
The Plain fountain was built in 1899 as a late tribute to Queen Victoria for her Diamond Jubilee.
A campaign spearheaded by Erica Steinhauer, of the Plain Traders Association, to restore the fountain was launched 18 years ago and resurrected in April last year. Ms Steinhauer said this week she was "deeply disappointed".
The area committee last week agreed to a £15,700 general restoration programme of the fountain.
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