New cafe design for Brooklands as park takes another step forward

The next stage of the restoration of Brooklands Park as a jewel in the crown destination is expected to take place latest this month when approval is sought for a new eco cafe on the site.

The cafe is set to go before Worthing Borough Council’s planning committee in late August and designs show a new building made of sustainable wooden materials which will blend into the natural environment of the park.

Consultants are putting forward the proposal on behalf of the Council but it will have to pass the independent planning committee before progressing. Once built the Council will seek tenders to run the cafe.

The building has fully modernised kitchen facilities and indoor seating and outdoor meeting spaces for visitors and is situated where the old cafe was positioned. It has the potential to include a ‘green’ roof with plants that encourage pollinators.

Cllr Edward Crouch, Worthing Borough Council’s Executive Member for Digital and Environmental Services, said: "Obviously we cannot preempt what the planning committee will decide but I very much hope this gets the green light.

‘It is a simpler design more sympathetic to the development of the overall park than we first envisaged because we want the natural habitat to dominate. With this plan going to committee and work set to begin on the next phase of the wider park plan in the autumn, it’s fair to say that we are cracking on with delivering the master plan and taking Brooklands from good to great. I think we are getting some real momentum now."

Officers and consultants had previously put forward plans for a larger cafe but after review have decided to propose a smaller model that is conducive to the overall park and allows more money from the £3m project to be spent on landscaping and building new walkways and playgrounds.

The tender for companies to develop the overall park including new walkways, glades and an adventure playground will go out later this month with preparatory work due to start in September and the successful company taking over the site fully in October.

Among the new features for Brooklands Park will be:

• An adventure play area to house 30 pieces of equipment, two of which are climbing frames more than 4 metres high
• An outdoor space for multi use events such as frisbee, football or other activities surrounded by seating
• A contemplative garden bordering the Teville Stream with new sensory planting
• A new accessible pathway circumnavigating the lake with seating areas and shelters
• A 2.5k fitness trail around the park
• A number of glades on the old golf course, including Community Garden, Play and Build, Nature, Wind and Winter, discrete areas sheltered by planting allowing for different community activities including food growing, seed sowing, play dens, bug hotels and bird boxes

This is the second stage of the Brooklands Park project. Two years ago the lake and stream were the subject of extensive restoration work with silt removed, free flowing water channels created and windmill oxygenators installed so that the fish, wildlife and plantlife could thrive.