A FOUNTAIN installed in Clacton as part of a £3.2million town centre revamp will remain switched off for the time being following health concerns.

Roddy Ashworth

A FOUNTAIN installed in Clacton as part of a £3.2million town centre revamp will remain switched off for the time being following health concerns.

The popular water fountain - which was opened last year and allows people to walk through its spray - will remain closed until Tendring District Council (TDC) has received a report on the design and operation of its water treatment system.

A spokesman said a meeting was held this week to discuss various issues that had been raised and that all the information gathered had been be taken away for evaluation.

TDC officers met an expert from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to clarify a number of matters.

The data will now be analysed and assessed during which time the water feature will remain closed as a precautionary measure pending the outcome of the report.

However, the fountain may be run for testing purposes during this time, the spokesman said.

Harry Shearing, portfolio holder for technical and procurement services at TDC, said the council took the decision to shut down the fountain on August 1 as soon as issues concerning the design and operation of the water treatment was brought to its attention.

“The council will decide the next course of action to take once it receives the report from the HPA,” he said.

“At this stage we do not know exactly when that will be but it is certainly likely to be a couple of weeks.

“In the meantime the water fountain will remain closed.”

The fountain cost £137,000 when it was built last year as part of a facelift for Clacton town centre that included planting more than 50 new trees, improved street lighting, new paving, new street furniture, and enhanced CCTV.