TRUST WOULD HAVE TO PAY COUNCIL COSTS OF ALMOST £500,000 – plus other points from park report
THE TRUST – or other organisation – which takes over the park faces paying Bromley council almost £500,000 from capital receipts if the proposals go ahead.
NUMBER CRUNCHING*
£250,000 To inform the delivery of a capital scheme in the park specialist advice will be required, particularly regarding options for and feasibility of a development on the top site / hilltop site. The cost of this is anticipated to be £250k.
£50,000 To inform the development of a new community-led governance and management body, specialist advice in park governance and potentially Trust formation will be required. The initial estimated cost of this specialist advice is £50k.
£195,000 To progress a sustainable business plan for the park this work two new fixed term officer posts will be required for two years, a project manager and a supporting officer . The cost of this is estimated to be £195k.
Members are being asked to agree to allocate a sum of £495k from capital receipts to progress this plan for the park. The report adds that the GLA will be asked to consider match funding. This money will be reimbursed by the new trust or similar, to the council, when capital receipts are realised.
(*With acknowledgments to Private Eye magazine)
OTHER POINTS FROM THE REPORT
CAFE BUDGET: Increased from £200,000 to £840,000 because of the “wider benefits” it brings to the park, says the report.
“The Masterplan vision is to create a double height storey café. “By implementing this vision the café will develop a new relationship with the dinosaur island and support the interpretation of the historic Grade 1 listed models.
“The second storey will provide additional space allowing for private hire as well as additional café seating during the busy summer months.
“This new café building will also attract a higher quality operator and yield an increased annual income for the park.
“The GLA (Greater London Authority) require a commitment from Bromley that any income generated as a result of their investment in the park, in this case the café, will be reinvested in the park and not directly used to subsidise revenue provision.
“A consequence of delivering the building of a new café will be that the arrangement with the current operator will have to be terminated and a lease of the new café will be tendered on the open market.
SHELVED:
PARKING REMOVAL PROJECTS: The two parking removal projects. “Not viable at this time due to their relationship with the NSC and their usage patterns. “The central car park is used by coaches for NSC events which could not be easily displaced elsewhere.
“Additionally the removal of large numbers of day-to-day visitor parking would impact on local roads which cannot be supported.”
Greening the park is a high priority to many stakeholders including Bromley and the GLA, – proposed that other areas of hard standing are considered for removal instead.
CONCERT BOWL RESTORATION: Would cost around £650,000 to restore.
“Feasibility works also found that the concert platform will cost in the region of £650k to restore” says the report. “Once it is restored its uses are very limited as a performance venue.
“Expert analysis has indicated the platform is not suitable for pop concerts, full orchestras or many other performance types.
“It would only be suitable for small scale community not-for-profit use, and would not generate an income.
“The (natural) auditorium would require approximately £100k to bring in to use due to the drainage complications at the site. Draining this area would impact on the whole water management of the site.
The Masterplan recognised these problems and proposed that the auditorium should take on a new use. “Other uses for the platform suggested during consultation, such as transforming the building into a café or restaurant, could be considered in the future.”
CONSERVATION OF THE PAXTON FOUNTAIN BASIN: The £2.16million budget will not enable all the remaining viable projects to be delivered to a high standard, says the report.
“It is recommended that the conservation of the Paxton basin is not taken forward to delivery either.
“The conservation of the Paxton basin received little support during the consultation, and English Heritage has said that although the basin structure is part of Paxton’s grand design, it is now an isolated element and has slight presence without the supporting ensemble.”
