Marble Arch Mound fans beg council to keep 'worst' London attraction with petition

Marble Arch Mound "worth saving for all the joy it has brought to Londoners..." Tap above to watch video report by Rags Martel

Two massive fans of a London attraction once dubbed by a visitor as "the worst thing I've done" are begging the council not to tear down the controversial attraction.

Freddie Poser and Alexander Bowen desperately want to change Westminster City Council's mind and started a petition to grab their attention.

The pair said the mound represented "what’s best about modern Britain" and helped bring people together.

"During the end of the Covid lockdown Westminster City Council came together and they decided to erect the Marble Arch Mound to bring tourists back to the area and bring the community together," said Freddie Poser.

"We met by the mound and we have so many fantastic memories on the mound and I think it’s well worth saving for all the joy it has brought to Londoners over the last six months.

"I think it’s under-rated," he added.

The Marble Arch mound was controversial from day one and has now closed to the public

  • What is London's Marble Arch Mound?

The idea by Westminster City Council cost £6m and was always meant to be temporary installation. The mound stands 25 metres tall and gives visitors a bird's eye view of Oxford Street, Hyde Park, Mayfair and Marylebone. It was designed by renowned architect MVRDV and consists of a park-like landscape of grass and trees. It gave visitors an experience of the great outdoors in the centre of the capital with a full 360 degree view. There are 130 steps to the top.

Why was the £2m Marble Arch Mound such a 'spectacular flop'?

The Marble Arch Mound closed to visitors at the weekend but Freddie and Alexander think shutting it was a mistake and the best could be yet to come.

"I think if we let it stay for another six months we’d see in July when the trees are back in bloom I think it would look a lot better than it has," Freddie Poser said.

"It’s had teething problems but now it's fantastic, but which huge infrastructure project doesn’t!

"Taking it down now would be a complete waste of money, we’ve put this up let’s keep it a bit longer," Alexander Bowen added.

In a statement last year Westminster City Council said they must "learn lessons" from the project, adding:

"We will continue our efforts to revive Westminster’s economy post-pandemic and to ensure our residents continue to receive first class services."

To find out more about the petition to save the Marble Arch Mound, click here.