A reportfrom the Commons on the Diana Memorial Fountain:

The total cost of installing the fountain is now expected to be £5.2 million, the Commons public accounts committee heard.

Edward
Leigh, its Tory chairman, branded the memorial "an open drain" and
asked why it ended up "like a muddy bog" after the first couple of
weeks.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport
said the design and construction costs rose to £4.2m and the opening
ceremony cost £318,000.

So-called "enhancement" works after the fountain was opened cost another £700,000.

When I was in London a few weeks ago I was walking across Hyde Park and went to have a look at it. (I also had a peek at the Queen Mother’s Gates and they were pretty awful too.) I don’t get it at all. It’s simply a concrete ditch. Woo Woo! The specific day I was there there were also two park manager types having something of an anguished "discussion" of the thing as well. I don’t think they were very impressed either.