Permission granted for refurbishment of Axminster's historic Jubilee Fountain

Planning permission has been granted to clean and repair the historic Jubilee Fountain in Axminster.

Axminster Town Council made the application to make improvements to the listed monument tin Trinity Square in April and the application was approved by East Devon District Council on Tuesday.

A condition survey of the fountain – erected to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 – found it to be in "relatively good condition". However, having not been refurbished for some 20 years, it has become dirty and covered in lichen and moss.

Specialist monument masons A.W. Brooker and Son were consulted on what work should be carried out, and have suggested carrying out a sensitive clean of the fountain using Thermal Tech Clean. This uses high temperatures and low-pressure steam with no chemicals and is often used to clean war monuments.

There are a few small areas on the fountain where mortar is missing so some repointing will be carried out, as well as possible repatching if sections of stone are found to be missing when the moss is removed.

The fountain also has a cast iron lamp on the top with three lights, which will be repainted and the wiring checked as only one of the three lights is currently working.

The cleaning and repair works are expected to take three days with the electrician taking an additional day.

During this time, the monument would be surrounded by plastic barriers, to keep the general public away from the site for their safety, but also to allow the masons to work uninterrupted.

Local planning round-up

Other recent planning applications to be given approval in the Axminster include the following:

Construction of agricultural storage building and two agricultural tracks at Great Trill Farm, Musbury; creation of off-road parking at 76 Willhayes Park, Axminster; proposed access road at Fawnsmoor Parlour, Fawnsmoor Farm, Lyme Road, Axminster; construction of two-storey rear extension and raised patio at 8 Foxhill, Axminster; erection of roof over silage store at Lower Westwater Farm, Westwater, Axminster; proposed construction of industrial units on land at Whitty Court, Weycroft Avenue, Millwey Rose Industrial Estate, Axminster.

Planning applications for the Axminster area currently under consideration by East Devon District Council include the following:

Certificate of lawfulness for the conversion of roof space to include five rear and two front roof lights at 4 Hilary Gardens, Axminster; construction of agricultural building for storage and access track on land at Pidgeons Lane, Axminster; installation of CCTV at Symonds and Sampson, Trinity Square, Axminster; single-storey rear extension at 41 Willhayes Park, Axminster; single-storey side extension at Highlands, Green Lane, Axminster; barn conversion at Fawnsmoor Farm, Lyme Road, Axminster; erection of a garden shed and raising in height of garden boundary wall and fence at Sunset View, Cooks Lane, Axminster.