Arches Local, a local group trying to regeneration the deprived area of Chatham, has set up a campaign to bring back a monument to its original home at the Luton Arches in Chatham town centre. The Driver Fountain was installed in 1898 by three-times mayor of Chatham William Driver, but since its removal in 1961 it has been moved to a corner of Chatham cemetery where it remains to this very day. The former fountain was located in the middle of the major road junction at the Luton railway arches, on the Chatham side facing New Road. When it was opened, a grass enclosure and a row of poplars were planted behind it to create a more 'welcoming' atmosphere. We have been interested in this project and will be supporting Arches Local to bring back the fountain to its former glory. A spokesperson for Arches Local commented, "We would like to see the entire area brightened up, with trees cut back to let in more light and the oppressive advertising hoardings repositioned to be less dominating. At the moment it's a dark and dirty place that people avoid." They also added, "Reinstalling the Driver Fountain could be key to getting major improvements in this area underway."
There have also been talks of removing the abandoned footbridge and repainting the pedestrian fencing to contribute to the improvements in the Luton Arches area. You can read more about the proposed improvements for the area on the Luton Arches page. Comments are closed.
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Archive
August 2023
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