Blackpool Council have found a fix for the St John’s Square fountains - now they just need to find the funds to put them right

The water feature was a focus point of the £3.5 million overhaul of the town centre square, but has not worked for more than 30 months.

The issue is said to have flummoxed engineers, but when asked for an update, the town hall said in a statement: “We have had some specialists investigate the cause of the problems.

They have identified a solution, which we are currently considering along with potential funding opportunities.”

The council was unable to say what the faults were found to be, how much they will cost to fix, or when they expect the fountains to be back up and

running.

The fountains, opposite the Church Street entrance to the Winter Gardens, were at the heart of the much-heralded revamp of St John’s Square a decade ago and were unveiled to a huge fanfare, with the then-council leader, Conservative Peter Callow, saying he wanted to make Blackpool the “third best shopping centre in the north west”.

But they have apparently been plagued by “multiple technical issues” because of their “complex mechanics and engineering”, the council said last year, with the jets removed completely in July so a “comprehensive investigation could be undertaken”.

That included testing of pumps, and electrical junction boxes and cables to spot any defective

components.

Coun Tony Williams, (inset), leader of the opposition, said last year: “I don’t think we have ever had a definite answer from the council as to what exactly is wrong with these fountains.”