Petition to save mocked attraction from closure

A petition has been set up in a bid to save the mocked Marble Arch Mound from closure.

The £6m artificial hill was supposed to attract people back into the city when it opened in July.

Branded a “monstrosity” and a “disgrace” on social media, it shut to the public for good on Sunday.

The petition said the mound was “an icon to Londoners and tourists alike” and that it “must not be cut down in its prime”.

It has been signed by more than 100 people. London has a population of about nine million.

“The aim of this petition is to ask Westminster City Council to extend its lifespan,” the organiser said.

“The mound is both a piece of art and a piece of community – it must not be cut down in its prime especially in light of the money and joy already invested into it.

“Our message is simple – #SaveTheMound.”

The mound first opened on 26 July but was forced to close temporarily when plants and grass began to die on the structure surrounded by scaffolding.

July’s ticketholders, who paid between £4.50 and £8, were offered refunds for the artificial viewing platform, which dropped its entry fee after reopening in August.

Westminster Council’s deputy leader Melvyn Caplan, who was responsible for the project, resigned from his role after total costs nearly tripled from an initial forecast of £2m.

The Tory-led council review to “understand what went wrong and ensure it never happens again” described the soaring costs of the scheme as “devastating” and “avoidable”.

Labour councillors branded the project, which was always expected to close this month, “a disaster from start to finish”.

Organisers claim the man-made mound boosted footfall to the West End and helped the area recover from the financial damage caused by the pandemic.

Westminster Council has been contacted for comment about the petition.