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After a troublesome start with surface water at the Princes Diana Memorial Fountain, Cirencester Civil Engineering Ltd were contracted by Whitehorse Contractors Ltd to provide the expertise in laying 840 square metres of Addastone TP surface, and also to fit the aluminium restraining edge around the area. A dark coloured natural aggregate was chosen to complement the granite and the project was completed in a month.

There has recently been a story in the press about the Memorial Fountain, which has been attributed to our company. As readers of our website and those of you who are familiar with our works, you may be aware that we have been associated with the Memorial Fountain since its reopening in 2005. We installed the porous resin bound paving around the fountain to make access easier and cleaner for the millions of people from all over the world who come to visit the fountain.

This has been enormously successful in maintaining access over the three years the fountain has been open. Of course, with all structures of this popularity, there are maintenance issues. For example, the grass wears out in areas which are more popular than others, slight settling of the structure occurs over a period of time, etc.

We have enjoyed a good relationship with the Royal Parks over the last three years and have been pleased to assist with the regular maintenance, which is carried out annually. We carried out some routine maintenance works to the expansion joints and inspection covers in the resin bound pathway in November of 2007. We were also asked to install further land drainage to the inside of the fountain in preparation for a further section of porous resin bound pathway. This work was carried out as planned works and was completed within the programmed period.

Unfortunately, we had employed a Mr Munro as a site agent for a contract at the Bath Spa University, where he had supervised the contract satisfactorily. We then expanded his role to that of Trainee Contracts Manager for our Civil Engineering division. This brought the Diana Memorial into his remit for the drainage works.

Our MD Mike Sugg planned the operation and attended site with Mr Munro to ensure that the work was proceeding to plan. Whilst on site he inspected the excavation for the drainage and the exposed side of the fountain. He noted some small leaks along the fountain, but the condition of the foundations and the fountain generally was the same as it had been three years earlier when he had installed the porous pathway.

Imagine our surprise at the newspaper article, which stated that "the fountain was losing thousands of litres of water per hour and was subsiding and would need to be taken up and re-installed" and that "Mr Munro’s company CCE Ltd had been called into inspect the fountain"!

We would like to "set the record straight". Mr Munro had left our company, without explanation, before the comments appeared in the press. He was never a principal of the company and was not qualified to make judgement about any structure nor was he a spokesman for the company. His comments were made without our knowledge and are certainly not representative of the views of this company.

We consider the fountain to be a great success. It is a tranquil place in a hectic city. The number of visitors is a testament to its popularity. Unfortunately, everything about Lady Diana is covered in controversy by the press, and the fountain is just a small part of that controversy. We have been proud of our association with the Memorial Fountain, the architects Gustaffson Porter who designed the fountain and the custodians of the fountain, the Royal Parks.

We look forward to continuing our association with the fountain maintenance and other projects, which the Royal Parks may wish to send our way.

ENDS

January 2008