Picture it: A hot summer’s day in Birmingham. You need to cool down quickly. You remember that the water jets at Centenary Square are only around the corner, but, oh no… haven’t the fountains been switched off since 2023? Well, worry no more, because the water feature outside the Library is being switched back on.
After a five-year, £10 million redevelopment, Centenary Square was reopened to the public in 2019—this included a new reflection pool with 28 water jets. Just four years later, the fountains had been turned off, needing remedial repairs, with no timeline for fixing them given.
The flat area has become nothing more than a skating surface since—although water was pumped into the area for the ‘Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man’ world premiere—but the council has confirmed the long-forgotten, much-missed fountains will make a splash once more in Centenary Square.
With the restraints of ‘bankruptcy’ now off, the council has announced plans to restore them. A spokesperson said, “Section 151 spend control approvals had to be sought to process works on the fountains, which have been received, so we are liaising with the contractors on when work can be carried out to bring the fountains back into operation.”
Earlier this month, Birmingham City Council revealed a £4.4bn budget that promises an extra £130 million for frontline services like cleaner streets, tackling fly-tipping and protecting libraries. This includes an extra £40 million for street cleaning, a £1 million culture fund, and a further £1 million for youth services.