A smaller group turned out on Wednesday evening than the previous meeting on 9 March. In fact it was suggested by one resident that the main objective of the improvement scheme had been satisfied, that of the playground.

Claire confirmed that the show of hands at the previous meeting against the need for a Friends of Moormead Park group had now been formally noted. Also that the majority of residents are very happy with the park and that no major changes were necessary. General upgrade and maintenance was sufficient. Not a blade of grass should be disturbed and likewise no chopping of trees.

Claire had received an apology from our new councillors who were unable to attend the meeting.

First pass plans for the layout of the pavilion were on display, including 2 options. Option 1 is for a basic refurbishment, toilets, roof, electricity and redecoration – the cost of which came in at £73K. Option 2 is for a complete reshuffle of the available space allowing for more decent access to toilets, 2 smaller changing rooms and expanding the kitchen area. This would provide more flexibility for its use. The cost of this option £188k. A partnership with a commercial company is possible such as the one at New Orleans Park.

Bazil Arden, a representative of the trustees of Canbury, provided a very interesting talk along with a slide show on the pavilion at Canbury Gardens in Kingston. The slide show includes some interesting ideas for different ways to self-finance, and the tenants that use the facility. The larger room provides space for seating 70 people, the pavilion is fenced of and is adjacent to tennis courts and CCTV. The history of the rejuvenation, how it came about and who was involved makes for inspirational reading and can be found at www.canburypavilion.org.

It was pointed out that the Canbury model is not comparable with the Moormead pavilion because of the vast difference in size. This led to a discussion on a possible Option 3 to knock down the Moormead pavilion and rebuild a larger one in another part of the grounds. Eve had pre-empted the likelihood of this suggestion and has a quote for £250k.

The general consensus of the group was that the forum on the evening was not big enough to decide on final plans. Claire and Eve agreed that further discussion would need to take place with a wider audience and proposed writing a paper for publication outlining all the options along with pros and cons.

The subject of information dissemination once again inspired comments that not enough had been done. This was despite the fact that notices had been placed on the Mead and distributed via the website. Once again a request from the floor that more use was made of the local papers.

The meeting finished with a group discussing landscaping ideas. Plans for proposed changes will be discussed further along with required budget and funding ideas.

Notes provided by Madeleine Menzies