Engagement Event for Hook Meadow Community Centre and Library development proposal
Cllrs Trevor Clarke and Rupert Turpin attended an engagement event to meet with users of the Hook Meadow Community Centre.
The Council are considering changing the use of the land which currently has the Hook Meadow Community Centre and the Library on in King George Road at the junction with Walderslade Road (Hook Meadow is the eastern boundary of the Rochester South and Horsted ward). Some of the land on this site may also be used to provide for a new mixed housing development.
The Council would like to do that but re-provide bookable community facilities and the Library either on the new site or in some form of partnership with the next door Church. The Council would also like to re-provide the current integral changing facilities elsewhere on the grassed area and in a separate building which also gives female changing rooms.
At this event the Council were introducing the draft proposal in order to understand the needs of the current users of the facility to help determine how the re-provision can best be carried out. A new community hub similar to the very successful Strood and Twydall hubs is one of the possibilities being explored.
Residents and user groups had the chance to talk through the implications and highlight the challenges they will face through the whole process. The Council resolved to work with all current users of the facility to help ensure the clubs and groups would still be able to meet in suitable alternative premises during the projected 18 month construction period. Once this round of consultations has concluded, outline proposals will be drawn up for reconsideration before being submitted as a formal planning application.
Ward councillors will maintain a watching brief on this to ensure residents are involved all the way through.