Issue - meetings

The Housing Delivery Manager introduced the report and outlined the previous decisions made by the Committee. A detailed planning application for the Heather House site was submitted on 13 January 2022 for the scheme shown at appendix 1 to the report. Housing with private parking was proposed on the pavilion site, having been designed to Nationally Described Space Standards, with the five properties for market rent being added to Maidstone Property Holdings Portfolio. The new centre would be available for community hire and a management provider would be procured.

The Committee expressed concern that the design was centred around sports provision rather than the community, and that it did not incorporate the facilities commonly required for community use, including a larger storage area and extra rooms for smaller meetings. A bar was not part of the initial design plans and more information was expected regarding the future management of the centre. Further rationale regarding the proposed design was requested, including information on the results of the residents’ survey.

In response to questions, the Housing Delivery Manager explained that multiple changing rooms had been incorporated into the design to allow both sports pitches to be used concurently. The stakeholder consultation and residents survey had informed the design, and a bar was a common feature of community centres used for events such as weddings and parties. Costs at this stage were estimates as they would not be finalised until the procurement process had been completed, and further information on management providers would also not be available until after the procurement exercise.

RESOLVED: That

1.  Additional information be provided to the Committee including further detail on the residents’ survey results, the economic impact and the rationale of the proposed design; and

2.  Further designs be put forward which incorporate a variety of sports and community uses.