Public toilets could be restored as council to consider £770k spend on infrastructure projects around Kingston
By Oliver Monk
26th Feb 2024 | Local News
Councillors will this week will discuss the distribtution of £770,000 fund for infrastructure projects around Kingston.
At a meeting of the Kingston and North Kingston Neighbourhood committee on Tuesday (27 February) some eight projects including works to build a new outdoor activity pool, and to reinstate a disused public toilet, will be considered.
A further five will then be discussed at a special meeting on 21 March.
The total value of the proposed projects is less than the fund's total value at £625,505.
The projects – which vary in cost – could all be financed through the Kingston Council's community infrastructure levy (CIL) fund.
CIL is money leveraged from developers across the borough, and must be spent on infrastructure projects.
However, councillors have some tough decisions ahead as the amount required for all the projects is more than the council currently has available to it.
Albany Outdoors – new outdoor pool
The most expensive project to be discussed this week is the £150,000 request put forward by Jeremy Scott-Maber for a new outdoor pool.
The manager at the centre said the outdoor pool is needed as the river has become increasingly inaccessible for the Albany's visitors in recent years, due to the unpredictable weather.
Increasingly frequent thunderstorms and heatwaves over recent summers have contributed to more and more activities being called off due to safety concerns.
Speaking to Nub News, Mr Scott-Maber emphasised how such conditions "can literally switch activities off," which means the centre's staff must find alternatives on-the-fly for large groups.
He goes on to say: "If we had a pool, that adds another element [...] it's important as a buffer."
"Not only does it extend the season throughout the year, but it also extends the day," he explains, as the river cannot be used after sunset each day.
The manager says the proposed eight square metre pool will be more than just a swimming pool.
He said it would offer a controlled environment for nervous swimmers or the centre's frequent disabled visitors, or as a rehabilitation tank for those recovering from injuries.
"When I talk to people about it, I can see a light goes on in their head when they hear the possibilities," says Mr Scott-Maber.
Funding opportunities like CIL are critical for organisations like Albany Outdoors.
As Jeremy Scott-Maber puts it: "We don't get funded. We get zero budget."
However, this pool promises future profitability for the centre, with conservative projections indicating the project could pay for itself within a decade.
With this additional funding, Mr Scott-Maber sees an Albany which expands into mental wellbeing activities, including social music sessions harkening back to his own experiences growing up in Ireland.
Another project of his is a gazebo overlooking the river for guided meditation.
"The river is never going to be a zen pond, you'll always have people going past. But you can imagine sitting out here with a cup of tea and having a good think," he says.
Mr Scott-Maber's "optimistic" plan is to have the pool ready within 18 months, once funding is secured.
Queen's Promenade – toilet, wall, and bandstand renovations
Of the three projects aimed at improving Queen's Promenade, two come from the council itself and one from the Queen's Promenade Friends (QPF) group.
The former are aiming to secure funding to restore the public toilets along the promenade, and a 250-metre section of wall between the walkway and Portsmouth Road.
The public toilet application says QPF is a partner in the project.
The third application aims to refurbish the old Queen's Promenade bandstand, which has already seen a number of improvements from QPF volunteers.
Together, the bids are seeking nearly £250,000, with the council-led bids making up the vast majority of this.
Nub News spoke to local business owner Gavin Wong, who runs Ginger Bees café with his partner Beth Denton.
Its position along the promenade itself means the upcoming committee meeting will have huge implications for the café.
Located outside of the town centre, Mr Wong feels the area has been underfunded by comparison.
"I understand [the council] has a large borough, but lots falls through the cracks" he says.
The nearby public toilets are described in the bid's documentation as "dilapidated," "unpleasant" and "unsanitary," with inconsistent opening times limiting their usefulness.
Ginger Bee's small building has prevented the business from offering such facilities in the past.
Even after making a toilet available to customers, it was vandalised within three weeks.
Mr Wong found himself frustrated, commenting: "If the public toilet was in better condition, would I have to put up with this?"
The council's application says the renovation aims to "reduce anti-social behaviour, including public urination and defecation along the promenade".
A recent freedom of information request revealed that there are a total of 28 public toilets acorss the borough, with 10 female, 12 male, four accessible, and two unisex toilets.
"I'm happy it's on their radar," comments Mr Wong, who also reflected on how regular maintenance and cleaning of the current facilities could have been better value for money.
He is very pleased about the new water points proposed in the renovation, with one for visitors and another for the nearby QPF plant beds.
Mr Wong is a big supporter of the QPF, and regularly speaks to the volunteers as they work around his shop.
QPF took to helping the couple maintain the plant beds surrounding the café after Miss Denton's mother, a keen gardener who had previously been looking after the beds, passed away.
"They're lovely human beings [...] we are so grateful for them helping us out," says Mr Wong.
The community spirit that has built up along the promenade was an unexpected perk of the café for the owners.
He tells of one such example: "You serve a couple, regulars, who say they're expecting, and a few years later their kid comes up to order an ice cream."
However, Mr Wong believes the council "shouldn't be relying on volunteers" to make the promenade a desirable destination for the local residents among his customers.
Nub News will be reporting the outcome of Tuesday's committee meeting.
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