Agenda item

Officer presentation – to discuss possible options.

Gill Davies, Strategic Director, for environment and leisure presented this item.

Members of the audience and councillors were provided copies of a briefing paper at the meeting.  The officer highlighted during the presentation that Kingswood House was a grade II listed building with community facilities on the ground floor and the upstairs rooms were hired out to generate income for the upkeep of the premises.

The underlining problem was the structure of the building which needed major maintenance and repair work that could involve the renovation of the whole of Kingswood House at a cost of £1 million.

There was a proposal to use part of the building as a stylus school and retain common usage for conferences, public meetings and weddings in order to pay for the restoration. 

Forms of development

The council was consulting on options for use of the upper part of the building examples given were an office hub, enterprise hub, or conference hub.

The next stage

• A feasibility study and review of the disabled access would be undertaken as well as holding consultation meetings with local stakeholders. 

• This would be going out to architects which have not yet been appointed to see what would be feasible.  All papers were available for public inspection.

Gill responded to questions and took on board comments concerning the following:

• Possibility of a health facility at Kingswood House.

• In the past the council had not spent large sums of money on the building hence the reason why it had fallen into disrepair.

• Possible option would be private flats although this was not an exclusive option.

• Kingswood House should be retained as a community facility.

• Members of the community should be fully engaged in the consultation process.

The chair thanked Gill Davies for the presentation.  He said he was sorry to hear that she would shortly be leaving the council.  He thanked Gill for all the hard work she had done.