Floozie letting down Birmingham’s image
BIRMINGHAM’S landmark water feature River- better known as The Floozie in the Jacuzzi – is letting the city down and tarnishing its image, business leaders have said.
Business Voice WM said the fountain, outside Birmingham Council House in Victoria Square, was all too often out of order and something needed to be done about it.
In an effort to rectify the situation, the lobby organisation has written to Sharon Lea, strategic director of environment and culture at Birmingham City Council, urging the local authority to take action.
BVWM’s Gary Saunders, who represents the West Midlands Chambers of Commerce, bemoaned the poor impression being given of the city.
“Victoria Square is a key feature of Birmingham to tourists and inward investors but the city does not show itself to its full advantage when the fountain is not operating,” he said.
“This gives an odd impression that the city is not functioning as well as it should when a key architectural feature that has been developed, in part, to impress visitors and highlight civic pride, is out of order.”
Mr Saunders, who is also business development manager of Erdington-based Churchill Office Solutions, said it was often the small touches such as this that could have a disproportionate impact on people visiting Birmingham for the first time.
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“We appreciate the city council is working hard to improve the image of Birmingham such as the work to revamp New Street Station. We applaud these moves but also propose that the small step of ensuring the Victoria Square fountain is working would create a positive impact on the first impressions people receive when entering this lovely area,” he added.
The business organisation has sought guidance from the city council on when the problem might be rectified.
It said the city’s most famous water feature, which features a bronze sculpture of a woman reclining in a water fountain, had a history of leakage problems dating back as far as 2002 and it was time something was done to improve the situation.
