Councillor Russell, the Lead Member for Leisure and Arts, introduced a report concerning the proposed upgrading of the toilet block and kiosk in the northern section of Mote Park near to the water sports centre to provide services for park users and extend the life of the building.

It was noted that:

·  The proposed layout for the refurbished block incorporated community rooms, unisex toilets with baby change facilities, changing facilities and showers/wet room.  Electrical outlets could be provided to enable mobile catering to be deployed on a temporary basis without the need for generators.

·  Provision of £250,000 had already been made for the project in the Capital Programme.  Planning permission would be required, and pre-application planning advice was being sought on the indicative design.

In response to comments and questions:

·  The Lead Member for Leisure and Arts advised the Committee that the budget included a contingency provision.  The aim was to achieve best value for residents’ money.  She suggested that the proposed delegation to the Director of Finance, Resources and Business Improvement relating to the submission of the relevant planning applications and the procurement process be amended to be in consultation with her as an additional safeguard.

·  The Leisure Manager advised the Committee that in terms of public access to the building, the Officers had been working with the groups who used the lake and some of the facilities there already and the design had been developed with their input.  It was proposed to regularise some of the licences with users of the lake and include the building.  The operator of the water sports centre would be willing to look after the changing, toilet and shower facilities.  Having people in and around the building would assist with the management of that area of the park.

The Leader of the Council emphasised the need to deliver a quality facility in a sensible way.

The Committee welcomed the project, considering that it would be a great asset, and supported the recommendations as amended.

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE LEAD MEMBER FOR LEISURE AND ARTS:

1.  That the option to proceed with the facility mix as depicted in the indicative design for Mote Park kiosk be approved.

2.  That the Director of Finance, Resources and Business Improvement be given delegated authority, in consultation with the Lead Member for Leisure and Arts, to submit relevant planning applications, lead a procurement process and invite tenders for the delivery of the works in accordance with the total project budget.

3.  That after the completion of the tender process, delegated authority is given to the Head of Mid-Kent Legal Services to enter into such contracts as required to complete the contract award.

Note:  During the discussion, Councillor Harper stated that he was the Chairman of the Maidstone Cycle Campaign Forum which had been in correspondence with the Lead Member for Leisure and Arts regarding a potential conflict of space in Mote Park between the ice cream van and cyclists.  It was good news that once the kiosk was refurbished an external electricity supply for a catering/ice cream concession would be included as this would help address concerns about congestion.