Fury as hugely popular attraction loved by families is AXED by council as locals cry ‘the heart of our city is gone’
LOCALS were left gutted after the council scrapped a beloved family attraction, after promises for it to be returned.
Derby City Council confirmed there are “no plans” to resurrect the city’s popular attraction after it was axed in July 2019.
The iconic Market Place waterfall was commissioned in 1995, and quickly became a recognisable feature of Derby Promenade.
Tory administration estimated it would cost £32,000 a year to keep going in 2017, and two years later it was closed to be “redesigned.”
Chaddesden resident Mary Hart told Derbyshire Live: “It’s typical, isn’t it?
“We can’t even afford to have a bit of water running in one of the busiest places in town.”
Mary used to take her grandchildren out to the waterfall to play during the summer months.
The concrete slab remains in the centre of town but with no water flowing through the it, leaving an eerie concrete slab.
She added: “I just laugh nowadays, I have stopped caring.
“It’s the young people who will miss out, they won’t know the Derby we know, and that’s sad, but what can we do?”
The waterfall was switched off in 2016 for maintenance costs and vandalism fees, but after immense pushback from townsfolk, the water began flowing again in 2018.
Unfortunately the year after it was turned off again with a council spokesperson announcing it was being re-designated as a “confined space due to restricted access.”
The spokesperson added: “Work is underway to resolve this issue as a matter of urgency.”
For the last half a decade the treasured waterfall has remained dry as a bone, and finally the council has addressed the issue.
To the dismay of locals, Councillor Nadien Peatfield announced there were “no plans” to switch the waterfall back on again after the five-year wait
The once cherished attraction is now covered with grime and bird droppings and is home to a flock of pigeons.
Without the water flowing through it, locals struggle to see the point of the feature in the centre of their city.
“It just gets dirtier and dirtier,” Sarah Young, from Mackworth, complained.
“It seems to be more run down whenever I look at it.
“They need to fix it soon – or at least give it a regular wash – otherwise, you may as well just knock it down.
“It has absolutely no purpose.”
The Derby Cascade, designed by William Pye, is a distinctive memory for many locals who grew up in the area.
The 3.5m high waterfall was initially erected after a competition organised by the Public Art Commissions Agency.
Behind the cascade there is enough space to walk behind the curtain of water, offering the sensation of wandering behind a waterfall.
Adam Kelly remembers the water feature fondly from his childhood, and thinks turning it back on would “put a bit of life back in the town.”
He said: “I was one of the kids who grew up using the waterfall, running around and getting wet.
“My grandparents couldn’t stand having to dry us all off before getting the bus, but my cousins and I used to enjoy it so much”, he chuckled.
“I’m not an expert on things like this, but I suppose it isn’t too much trouble to turn it back on, but with the cost of bills nowadays, you never know.”
While he would love to see it open he understands it’s not a priority.
“We’re all used to it now, and it’s too late to turn it on for Christmas, so maybe by the summer, they could have it sorted.”
When it was first designed, the waterfall was met with mixed reactions as many had requested a traditional fountain.
Locals and visitors then become attached to the unique feature and are devasted to hear it won’t return, despite attempts to make the Market Place the new “cultural heart of the city.”
Councillor Peatfield said: “The Market Place is a key part of our plans to create a new cultural heart of the city and we continue to work closely with our preferred strategic development partners, Vinci Developments UK and ION developments, on their masterplan, which includes the Market Place and areas surrounding it.”
The Sun has reached out to Derby City Council for a comment.