Decision details

RESOLVED: That Cabinet

a)    Approved a capital budget of £1.2m in 2023/24, funded from CIL, to remove the existing and provide replacement public welfare facilities at Abington Park East, and recommended to Council that the budget be amended accordingly.

b)    Authorised the procurement of services and works, award and completion of contracts to facilitate the works subject to consultation with and the approval of the Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture & Leisure, and the Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways & Waste.

REASONS RESOLVED:

1)    To provide an important public amenity.

2)    To support and encourage the use and enjoyment of Abington Park.

3)    To reduce the safety risk associated with people, especially children, crossing Park Avenue South to access the remaining open public toilets.

4)    To reduce potential for anti-social behaviour by removing the existing building and enabling a new facility to be located and designed to minimise this risk.

5)    to ensure that the final design is suitable and meets with members' approval.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

The choices available to the Council are as follows.

a)    Do nothing and leave the building closed in its current condition: This would not enable the Council to mitigate against future vandalism and damage or prevent those determined to access the flat roof from doing so, thus retaining a safety risk. It is highly likely that the building would become so damaged that it would be unsafe to remain in situ. The current condition of the building creates a negative visual image of the park, and consequently the Council, leading to reputational damage. The option does not support the Council’s objects for safer communities and improving health and wellbeing.

b)    Demolish the existing facility and retain the provision on Abington Park West: This option would enable the Council to mitigate against continued vandalism and removes an unsightly building from the park. However, it would reduce public welfare facilities. The Council would not be providing the required changing facilities for paying user of the park’s facilities or meet the need of users of the play area and lakes. The option would not support the Council’s objectives for improving health and wellbeing.

c)    Refurbish the current facility and bring this back into public use: Works to the building would still require circa £120k to ensure the building was initially safe for use. This would include altering sanitaryware, improvements to seating/benching, vanity units and cubicles, doors etc. although these works would make an aesthetic improvement to the building and improve its resilience to damage to a degree. However, it would still be prone to vandalism and critical failure. Nor is the existing building, even if it was not vandalised, an attractive addition to the park.

d)    Approve £1.2m capital funding in 2023/24 to demolish the existing facility, bring the area back into public use, and provide a relocated facility: This would remove the current safety risks and reputational harm, and enable the Council to mitigate against future vandalism and damage. It would support the Council’s objectives for safer communities and improving health and wellbeing.

Option D above is the only option that enables the Council to effectively support its objectives and provide the facilities to enable income for use of the parks football pitches. Option D also provides an opportunity to design and construct a new facility with high levels of energy efficiency and sustainability, thus contributing to achieving the target of Net Zero by 2030, and other visual and environmental improvements