HERE is the first look at a new cafe and heritage centre being proposed as part of the revamp of Weymouth’s Radipole Park and Gardens.

If approved the centre will create two full-time and six part-time jobs and will open daily from 10am to 5pm, offering seating for 28 people.

Other improvements are planned to the area in conjunction with the new building, including a sensory garden, new play areas, skate ramps, open-air table tennis tables and a water play area.

Changes are also planned for the existing car park which will increase from 35 to 46 car spaces, with three new disability parking spots.

A planning application for the timber-clad single storey building has been submitted by Weymouth Town Council with much of the design work carried out by a Dorchester architect.

The proposed 70 square metre building will be flood resistant, mainly by raising the floor level, although the site for it, just off the existing main car park entrance, is only at low risk of flooding.

The café building will also include toilets, one of the facilities which park users have long identified as being inadequate.

The café and combined heritage centre is seen as the key element of a Stage II application to the Heritage Lottery Fund to support the conservation and enhancement of Radipole Park and Gardens as a whole.

A landscape design for the whole of the park and gardens has been proposed which includes improving the paths; replacing the dated play equipment with a new play area incorporating a water feature; improving the sports facilities and adding a sensory garden.

The application to the Heritage Lottery Fund has been submitted by Weymouth Town Council together with The Friends of Radipole Park and Gardens.

In a 2017 questionnaire a community café and toilets was seen as being important by 88% of respondents; while two years later 90 per cent said the park would be improved if there was a café, with almost 95 per cent saying it would be better with improved toilet facilities. The park is currently without public toilets, other than those in the tennis pavilion which are only for club members.

Documents with the planning application to Dorset Council says that as well as serving refreshments and offering toilet facilities, it is intended that the café will also be used as a community heritage centre, with information on the history of the park, a hub for the Friends group and volunteers and a centre for education. It will also be the central point for a range of activities including a heritage trail, scavenger hunt, orienteering course, talks and walks programme, and interactive interpretation aimed at children.

The proposed new sensory garden, which is being developed by staff and students at Kingston Maurward College, will be located next to the café.

Weymouth Town Council intend to franchise the café with the rental income ‘ring fenced’ to be used to maintain the building, park and gardens.

Security lights and CCTV will be fitted to the building with the car park layout redesigned to discourage anti-social behaviour.

The centre will be clad with timber cladding with large windows and glazed doors to offer views to the play area, sports facilities, the park in general and Radipole Lake. Cedar shutters will secure the café out of hours.

The building is being designed to keep energy use to a minimum with high levels of insulation and with an air source heat pump to provide hot air to the entrance door heater and/or hot water heating. The space heating will be via infra- red heaters with the electricity from a green energy supplier.

Early support for the proposal has come from Michael Kelly of the Weymouth and Portland Access Group.

Writing to support the application he says: “The proposed cafe and toilets will encourage more people to visit and enjoy the park and gardens, and to stay for longer. The sensory gardens will enhance the open space and the extended car park will also be beneficial especially with the provision of a drop off point for minibuses and 3 disabled badge car spaces.

“The Access Group does however call for the speed limit on Radipole Park Drive to be reduced. The present 40mph speed limit is too high in safety terms for a road with a long frontage to Radipole Park and Gardens.”

Public comments on the proposal are open until January 28 with the details available on the Dorset Council website. Search for application WP/19/00964/FUL.