Decision details

To approve capital expenditure in line with the cashflow forecast for works to the roof of the llama house at Cobtree Manor Park; to accept a quotation for the works; and to give delegated authority to the Director of Finance, Resources and Business Improvement to instruct the contractor to complete the works.

1.  That approval be given for capital expenditure to be incurred in line with the cashflow forecast for the works to the llama house roof at Cobtree Manor Park.

2.  That quotation G from contractor 4 is accepted and delegated authority is given to the Director of Finance, Resources and Business Improvement to instruct contractor 4 to complete the works to the llama house roof.

The llama house in Cobtree Manor Park is a historic building that has been used for farming in the past and was also part of Maidstone Zoo when that existed on the land.  Following the closure of the zoo the building was used for sheltering llamas.

Today the structure is in a quiet part of the park and with its picnic benches positioned underneath it provides shelter to park users.  It is an open-fronted structure that is approximately 15m long, 3m deep and 3m high.  It is a stone building with a roof of timber supports and Kent peg tiles.

The structure has some damage and wear and tear to the roof and work needs to be completed on it to make it safe and usable for park visitors and to preserve it as an asset to the park.

Contractors have visited the llama house and made assessments and their quotations are provided at exempt appendix 1 to the report.

1.  Not Repair the Roof – Rejected

If the roof is not repaired the llama house structure cannot be made available to park visitors because of the risk of debris falling from the roof.  There will be costs associated with removing it from use for the long term and a risk of park visitors disregarding safety measures and accessing it anyway.  Its status as a historic feature within the park will be put at long-term risk.

2.  Partially Repair the Roof – Rejected

Partial repairs will remove the most immediate risks, but future works will be required and the costs for completing them will increase between now and commissioning future works.  A watching brief will need to be kept on the roof and its degradation will need to be monitored so that it can be taken out of action to protect park visitors if necessary.

3.  Fully Repair the Roof – Chosen Option

Repairs to the roof will ensure that its integrity is retained, and the structure can continue to be used safely without any risks or ongoing cost concerns.