Disgruntled Londoners have learned that it has cost a further $1.2 million to dismantle the maligned Marble Arch Mound.
The £6m ($11.3m) "eyesore" was left incomplete when the tourist attraction was opened in July 2021. The project led to resignations in Westminster Council after the disappointing results and astonishing costs were revealed.
The pay-to-access attraction on the corner of Hyde Park and Oxford street had disappointed visitors who climbed to the unfinished summit. Some referred to it as a "slag heap" and the turf-covered mound failed to cover up the embarrassment of unfinished surfaces and the fact that neither the promised cafe or shop were open to the public.
One visitor called it "the worst thing I've ever done in London."
The Associated Press reported that many were refunded after complaints.
It was closed in January this year and dismantled. The council said it had welcomed 250,000 visitors and brought life back to the heart of the city.
The Mound's website described it as a "meaningful experience that captures the imagination of residents, businesses and visitors," and was funded as part of the city's pandemic recovery plan.
Charged an entry fee between £4 and £8 ($7 and $15)pp, the mound had high aspirations but did not amount to much.