Covid, The Gift That Keeps Giving...

Is it 'gold plated'..?

Wait, what?

More than £8,000 has been spent by the borough council on a closed water feature in Basingstoke that has not been in use for more than three years, the Gazette can reveal.

Why hasn't it been in use? Did it have a fault?

The fountains near Eastrop Park were closed in 2020 when the pandemic hit, because of restrictions.

/facepalm 

In response to a Freedom of Information request to the borough council sent by the Gazette, it revealed that last year it spent £8,110 on the fountains, including installation of a sign asking people to keep out of the water installed last year.

Asking people to keep out of water that isn't actually there? 

In 2021, while preparing the fountains for reopening, the council said it found high levels of condensation in the plant room which powers the fountains which had led to a number of parts corroding. Specialist parts were ordered, but the council said these were “subject to long lead times”.

*sighs* 

In February 2022 the fountains were inspected again, and some preliminary work was done to prepare them to be switched back on. This cost the council £6,620 plus £1,432 paid to a supplier for returning parts ordered in 2021. However, the council said this work revealed that further, significant damage had been caused to the plant room because of the length of time the fountains had been switched off.

Covid - or rather, the hysterical overreaction to it - is going to be responsible for so many things, isn't it? 

H/T: Ian J via email