Plans to replace temporary buildings at a popular park with purpose built contemporary facilities including a café, toilets and changing rooms will be discussed next week by councillors.
Nowton Park, a regionally significant and well used open space on the southern edge of Bury St Edmunds welcomes over 300,000 visitors a year. It is run by St Edmundsbury Borough Council and visitor facilities are currently housed in three separate prefabricated buildings. St Edmundsbury's Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 28 April will hear a proposal to replace these buildings and extend the facilities, bringing them all together under one roof.
Neil Anthony, Head of Leisure at St Edmundsbury said,
"Visitor numbers are growing steadily and we have received consistent feedback that a café and upgraded loos would be welcome improvements. The current buildings were installed as a short term measure and are becoming expensive to run, and it is timely to look at their replacement as part of an overall plan for how the site is run. The council's capital programme includes up to £525,000 for the cost of the new building, to ensure the site continues to meet customers' expectations."
The new building will be located on the site of the current facilities, near the main car park. The park has a recently refurbished artificial pitch, grass football pitches, play area and 172 acres for walking and informal recreation. Neil Anthony adds
"Nowton Park's historic landscape gives everyone the chance to enjoy the great outdoors in beautiful surroundings. It is very popular with families who will appreciate the loos and café, with sportspeople who will welcome the new changing rooms, and it hosts big events such as the Nowton Park Country Fair and Race for Life. The new building will bring great benefits for many people."
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Issued by Sally Easton Communications Unit, St Edmundsbury Borough Council. Phone: 01284 757033. Email: sally.easton@stedsbc.gov.uk
