DISTRICT councillors have agreed to splash out £75,000 to improve the riverside in Higginson Park.

But a shadow fell on the district council meeting last Monday when Marlow councillor James Campbell (Lib Dem, Marlow North) objected to the inclusion of the controversial Akeler sundial in council plans.

The improvements to the riverside are due in time for the Queen's visit to Marlow on May 10 where she will unveil the statue of Sir Steve Redgrave.

Council officers had planned to put the sundial on land used by Marlow Town Festival and Regatta organisers.

Instead regatta organisers have put forward plans to erect a bandstand on the site earmarked for the sundial.

Cllr Campbell, who is also on the Marlow Town Festival and Regatta Committee, said: "We would provide the bandstand at no cost to the council and public and we would maintain it.

"It would be ideal and could be used all the year round. I know that it would be damaged by blessed vandals but we would have to deal with that."

The sundial stood on Akeler's premises in Marlow until they moved out when it was donated to the district council for Marlow.

The man responsible for bringing the sundial to Marlow said he was not against the idea of a bandstand but was against what would be the sundial's third move to a fourth site.

He said: "During the millennium celebrations there was a lot of support for a bandstand but I am getting rather fed up with the number of times the sundial is being moved."

February 15, 2002 10:30