Twyford

The much-loved Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst could become an even better leisure facility for all residents and visitors if the council’s decision-making executive agrees an improvement project later this month.

The council’s executive will be asked to support a plan to improve the Hurst park’s facilities including the kitchen and seating at the Dragonfly Café, parking facilities and the park’s toilets, when it meets next Thursday (May 28).

The executive will also be asked to extend the current catering company’s contract at the Dragonfly Café for a further two years, as the Hurst partnership has been a success and the food and drink offered has been popular with visitors. Baking Waves was originally given a two year contract in 2008 with a possible two year extension. If Baking Waves is offered the extension a new contract would be put out to tender in 2012.

The Hurst country park hosts a wide range of activities for all ages, from walking to fishing, golf and water sports. It also runs a variety of educational and community activities which benefit many groups across the borough and has a popular café on site.

Currently the café is in need of some modernisation, plus the toilets and car parking facilities also need improving to make the park even more welcoming. The executive will be asked to support an improvement plan for the Dragonfly Café, in two phases.

If it agrees to the upgrade the Hurst park, the first phase would see a new wood-frame barn extension created, with extra seating and enhanced kitchens at the Dragonfly Café, upgraded toilet facilities and additional car parking. The improved café could also provide better facilities for the cultural activities offered under the countryside services events programme.

Phase two could see a larger wood-frame barn extension, which would be able to accommodate up to 200 people, and could be used as a café, exhibition space and restaurant. The executive will be ask to support immediate work on phase one – with work on phase two to follow when funding becomes available.

The improvements have been outlined as the Hurst country park reaches its 30th anniversary and have been put forward in place of the 2008 Dinton Pastures Vision – which is unlikely to be supported financially given the current economic climate. If given the go ahead it will provide an improved hub for all visitors ranging from ramblers, dog-walkers, golfers, parents and children, elderly people and people with disabilities. It will also give the countryside service the opportunity to arrange more activities including junior golf days, wildlife events and sporting activities.

Cllr Simon Weeks, executive member for Hurst environment, said: “Dinton Pastures is an extremely popular country park that attracts 500,000 visitors a year and has been a much-loved leisure facility for the past 30 years.

“It is loved for its open spaces and leisure facilities – but the facilities at the park are in need of modernisation and so on the eve of its 30th anniversary the council is looking to explore ways to make it an even better place for all visitors. Unfortunately, given the current economic climate there is little hope of achieving all the aspirations set out in the previous Dinton Vision, but we are committed to improving facilities for all and so the executive will be looking at alternative ways to achieve this aim next week.”

Other options available to the executive include not improving the café, toilet, car park facilities but instead using money available to rebuild a storage barn that was burned down last year. Alternatively it could opt to do nothing at all on the site – putting funding for the project in to the council’s capital development fund to support other priorities.

Wokingham Borough Council ~ Hurst