A FOUNTAIN could again be part of historic St George's Square in Huddersfield.
And councillors are toying with the idea of asking Yorkshire Water to sponsor it, a meeting heard yesterday.
Councillors met for discussions into improving the Northern Quarter of Huddersfield town centre.
They agreed to press ahead with feasibility studies into parts of the scheme.
Clr Andrew Cooper told the Huddersfield Committee there was an obvious link between a fountain and the water supplier.
"It would be an excellent marketing opportunity," he said.
Yorkshire Water is planning to stage road works in the town, which will cause disruption to shoppers and motorists.
And Clr Cooper, Green Party, Newsome, said: "Yorkshire Water could potentially provide a problem and an opportunity.
"Yorkshire Water might want to sponsor part of the improvement scheme and put some money into the works going on - specifically the oft-mentioned fountain in St George's Square.''
Clr Cooper was told it was a sensible suggestion that had not been considered in Kirklees, but a fountain in Manchester city centre was sponsored by the local water company there.
Clr Peter McBride, Labour, Dalton, said the fountain that used to be in St George's Square was now in pieces in Greenhead Park.
"If it was to be reinstated it would have to be put together like a jigsaw,'' he said.
Clr Cooper said he was thinking of a new fountain rather than using the old one.
The Huddersfield Renaissance Town project is aimed at providing a more attractive environment, safer streets, improved access to facilities and making more effective use of parking.
Suggestions for new traffic lights at the junction of Lower Fitzwilliam Street and John William Street were attacked by Clr Mohan Sokhal.
Clr Sokhal, Labour, Paddock, a bus driver, said:
"Traffic lights would not be workable because of the long queues that already build up there.
"A pelican crossing would be enough.''
Public consultation into the improvement scheme revealed support for the improvement of St George's Square.
A feasibility study is to be conducted to sort out problems with the road layout in the square and the Railway Street/Northumberland Street junction.
Clr John Smithson, Lib Dem, Almondbury, urged caution on spending before the study's findings came in.
"It will be a fair old investment. If we find we have put much more in than we need to it would be very hard to change.
"It is right to defer that area to see what feasibility study comes up with.
"Let's face it, we do not want to encourage more cars into the town centre. It's already congested.
"Rather than encourage on-street car parking we have to start thinking about alternatives,'' he said.
