THE fountains on Victoria Square are to be scrapped to make way for a cafe and restaurant on either side of the town hall steps, it has emerged.

Two new images released by Bolton Council show how the town hall could look — if the £6.5 million plans to revamp the Albert Halls are given the go-ahead.

The built-up fountains will be replaced by new rows of "programmable interactive stream jets" that can be turned on and off.

As previously revealed in The Bolton News, a restaurant will spill out onto an outdoor terrace on one side of the town hall, with a cafe at ground level on the other side, closer to Newport Street.

Critics have blasted the plans as "cultural vandalism" — while local and national heritage groups have spoken out against the plans.

However, town hall chiefs say they want to open up the town hall to the public.

Council leader Cllr Cliff Morris said: “This building belongs to the people of Bolton and we want them to be able to use it."

It is not the first time the fountains have been moved.

In 1999 they were moved from either side of the war memorial to their current position following a revamp of Victoria Square.