Restoration work on the fountain in Dumfries town centre – along with a new piece of public art – is expected to be approved next week.
The £400,000 project is to be discussed at the council’s planning committee next Wednesday.
Councillors will be asked to rubber-stamp the dismantling of the town’s historic centrepiece for refurbishment and painting, and the installation of an artwork at the site which incorporates public seating.
Historic Environment Scotland, the council’s archaeologist, and senior officers in roads and planning were all consulted and none had any objections to the work.
However, two complaints from members of the public living in the town centre have been lodged with the council.
They are opposed to the fountain being repainted in its original “dull and boring” colours, saying: “Many residents and visitors like the red and gold colours and want to keep them.
“They are bright and vivid and do great credit to the fountain.”
They also argue that the proposed public artwork is inappropriate in design and would be “detrimental to the conservation area”.
The artwork has been developed to commemorate the restoration and the Dumfries story of water.
It would be in the form of stacks of concrete paving slabs, with cast iron boat sculptures set on top of six of the stacks.
Seating would be formed within the artwork and it would match the historical paint colours taken from the fountain.
However, the objectors described the artwork as “a gross intrusion”.
In the letter to the council they said: “It is astonishing that in a conservation area that this would even be considered.
“The installation’s bulky, angular shape competes with the fountain. It is incongruous and intrusive and the cast iron ‘boats’ are a confusing silly distraction. Boats have no meaningful relationship to a decorative fountain.”
Listed building consent is being sought for the conservation and restoration works.
A report prepared for next week’s meeting states: “The proposed alterations include the removal of the non-original ‘rockery’ elements to reveal the original sandstone inner bowl and pedestal and reinstatement of the four missing cast iron urns with ‘aloe vera’ plants replicated in patinated copper together with the reinstatement of the water circulating system.
