Works start on the new Mote Park Cafe & Visitor Centre

Thursday 24th June 2021


Work has started on a new cafe for Mote Park.

The Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Fay Gooch, and the new leader of the council, Cllr David Burton, attended a ground-breaking event in Maidstone's biggest park yesterday.

The new facility in the 440-acre park will include indoor and outdoor seating, a flexible space for learning, a meeting area for schools and community groups to hire, as well as new larger modern toilets with a specially adapted larger space for the disabled.

It will be surrounded by improved landscaping and new surfacing on the path to the car park, where increased bicycle parking will be provided.

Once the existing café and toilet block are demolished, visitors will be able to enjoy a more panoramic view over the lake.

The Mayor said: "Mote Park is a jewel in our County Town and I am delighted to see the work officially starting."

"I have spent so many wonderful days here in the park with family and friends over the years and I know well how important the new café and facilities will be for everyone visiting here."

Cllr Burton said: "It’s time to start delivering the improvements that the residents of Maidstone want and need.

"This is the first of a number of schemes we have in the pipeline and we will be pushing hard to see them under way as soon as possible."

The work will be completed by the summer of next year.

Geoff Slee, the managing director of BBS Construction Ltd, said: "The new Mote Park Café has allowed us to engage with our local community, not just in the construction, but also with a new public art project and given us the opportunity to work with A-level art students at the nearby Valley Park School to design bespoke artwork based on the four seasons in Mote Park which will soon be displayed on the main site hoarding for the public to enjoy."

The council will be seeking a new operator over the coming weeks to run the café.

Image: From left, Cllr David Burton, the Mayor Fay Gooch and BBS managing director Geoff Slee

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