Yahoo News London’s troubled Marble Arch Mound to be permanently free to visit
The entrance fee to the troubled Marble Arch Mound - the 25 metre West End hillock dubbed the worse attraction in London - is to be permanently scrapped.
Westminster council had originally hoped to recoup £2 million from tourists eager to clamber up the installation by charging up to £8 for an adult and £20 for a family of four.
However, after the disastrous launch, at the end of July, bosses at the Tory-led authority decided to waive the charge for a month while teething problems were sorted out.
But they have now bowed to the inevitable and decided that the views of Hyde Park, Mayfair and Marylebone from its viewing platform will be available to all for free throughout the life of the Mound until it closes in January.
A council spokesperson said: “We built the Mound to bring people back into the West End at a time when low footfall continues to have a negative effect on businesses and jobs in the area.
“It’s encouraging that, since it’s been free to climb, over 60,000 people have visited.
“We believe continuing to offer free entry will encourage even more people to visit and spend time in our city – boosting local business, protecting jobs and bringing the buzz back to our streets.”
The council had planned to cover the bulk of the £3.3 million costs of the Mound from a forecast 280,000 paying customers - with sponsorship making up the shortfall.
However costs have ballooned to £6 million - leading to the resignation of former deputy leader Melvyn Caplan last month - and sponsorship “will fall significantly short” of expectations.
The mound was bedevilled by problems from the start and had to be closed just two days after its launch in late July after officials admitted it was not ready.
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